All That I'm Living For
by Jade Fervidus
Summary: "Lock the last open door, my ghosts are gaining on me." - Evanescence. Fifteen years ago, Tyler left the Covenant without a trace. Now Chase is back for revenge and gunning for the Sons. Can the rest of the families find Tyler in time, or will he and his new family be the first to die? Canon.
1. 15 Years Ago

**All That I'm Living For**  
by  
Jade Fervidus

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**Rating:** T  
**Pairing/s:** None yet.  
**Genre:** Mystery/Friendship  
**Fandom:** The Covenant

**Warnings:** **Suicidal thoughts**, but nothing graphic. **Swearing**.

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**Disclaimer: **I do not own The Covenant, its characters or settings: Renny Harlin and Screen Gems do. I just like using them for my own tales.

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**15 Years Ago**

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Tyler had always admired the ocean. She was the ultimate weapon; beautiful but powerful, intriguing but dangerous. She glittered under the sunlight, all happiness and cheer. However, under thick grey clouds and rain, she turned into something not to be toyed with. Her waves could pound and flattened nearly anything until the storm passed and she settled once more.

The teenager stared at the ocean below his perch, her waves foaming and pounding at the side of the cliff. Dark grey rain clouds shifted in the sky, announcing the approaching storm. Tyler snorted softly. It was always raining in Ipswich, Massachusetts.

_How easy it would be, _thought Tyler to himself as he stared at the water below, _to end it all right now. The pain, the confusion, the terror that this stupid fuckin' curse brings with it. I really wish I knew who the sonofabitch was who cursed us…_

But, no, Tyler wouldn't kill himself. He still had too much to live for. He sighed, feeling the burn of tears behind his crystal blue eyes. The teenager wouldn't live for much longer if he stayed here.

His best friends were avid users of their Power. Caleb Danvers, who had his father's share as well as his own, had handled the sudden rush well. Of course he strayed off the track sometimes but Tyler understood why. Having your own share of the Power was hard enough, but when you got someone else's? Yeah, it was damn near impossible to cope. As for Pogue Parry and Reid Garwin? They were deliberately using their problems away. Pogue has Ascended three months after Caleb, Reid two weeks after Pogue. Both of them hadn't even attempted to keep their usage under control. They just didn't care. Tyler was worried that they would kill themselves before they could realise what they were doing.

Tyler knew he had no chance of surviving his Power if Pogue and Reid couldn't help him. Tyler wasn't the weakest in the Covenant but he didn't have Caleb's willpower, which was exactly what he needed. He couldn't handle it, and the youngest brunette knew it too.

College would be his escape. He would Ascend a few weeks before college started. So he would have the full support of his family and he could heal properly before he left, but he would be gone before any lasting damage could be done. He had always wanted to attend Harvard but Caleb was going there too, so that was out. After careful consideration, Tyler had decided on Salem State, far from his original preferences. If he was going to hide, he was going to do it properly. He only hoped that his brothers wouldn't noticed his plotting.

Guilt and turmoil stirred in his stomach. Tyler knew that his disappearance would hurt everyone he cared about. He could only wish that they understood his decision and didn't do anything stupid. He had hoped that he could return to Ipswich one day… But he was fooling himself. The Power's control over his body wouldn't lessen as he aged, it would get worse. So he would leave Ipswich for Salem and never return.

The first droplets of rain fell from the toiling sky onto Tyler's face. He looked up to the sky as a hot tear spilled down his cheek. The brunette wiped it away with his finger as the rain fell harder. He turned and headed back towards his Hummer.

In the warm interior of his car, Tyler cleared his throat and strengthened his resolve. He was going to do what he had to do, no matter what happened. It was his only chance.

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**Author's note: **Wow, angsty Tyler… yummy. Anyway, this is the prologue to my story I've started. This is my baby, so I'd very much appreciate reviews to let me know if I should post the actual story. Thanks guys!


	2. I

**All That I'm Living For  
**by  
Jade Fervidus

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**Rating:** T  
**Pairing/s:** Caleb/Sarah, mentioned Pogue/Kate.  
**Genre:** Mystery/Friendship  
**Fandom:** The Covenant

**Warnings:** Nothing bad in this chapter. Minor language. Rated T for precaution: this storyline is a little more mature than my usual stuff.

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**Disclaimer: **I do not own The Covenant, its characters or settings: Renny Harlin and Screen Gems do. I just like using them for my own tales.

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**I**

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Caleb Danvers heaved a deep sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He had been a doctor for eight years now and it was starting to take a toll on him. He had formed small wrinkles around his dark eyes and worry lines on his forehead. His wife, Sarah, often teased him, saying he looked older than his thirty-three years. It saddened him slightly to know that she was right.

He had always thought that it was the Power that would age him. Surprisingly, if he remained calm and collected, she stayed a quiet hum in the background. Caleb had often thought of using his abilities to heal his patients who could not be healed, but he had been told that it would kill him eventually. Part of being a doctor was accepting the fact that you would lose some of your patients, and Caleb had been bitterly reminded of that on several occasions. But no case had been as confusing as this one.

Two days prior, Caleb had been asked to observe three patients at his sister hospital in Gloucester. They had all been young boys, all aged 10. All three refused to talk, or even give any acknowledgement that Caleb had been there: they hadn't even opened their eyes. What the Chief Surgeon, Dr. Graham Taylor, wanted from Caleb was a second opinion. He didn't think it was a coincidence that all three boys were the same age, showing the same symptoms and demonstrating the same uncooperative behaviour. It had also confused the younger doctor.

"What do you think it is, Graham?" Caleb had asked his senior after leaving the patient's room. The sight of their pale, cold skin and eerily still bodies haunted his vision. They reminded him of his own son: they were practically the same age. Caleb quashed the urge to shudder.

Doctor Taylor sighed. His green eyes were tinged with sadness. "I honestly have no idea, Caleb. And that's what's so frustrating. Their symptoms don't match any known diseases." His tone suggested that he was losing patience with himself. "Something tells me that they're scared of something."

Caleb had noticed that too. When he and Graham had walked in, he hadn't missed the way all three boys had shrunk away from the noise of the door. It bothered him. "I thought that too. But what could do that to them and make them so scared they refuse to open their eyes?"

"Cult, maybe?" suggested Graham offhandedly. "The police are investigating that angle, but we have nothing on the boys to search for. We don't know their names. We ran DNA, fingerprints, even gave their pictures to the media." Caleb had seen the report on television, pleading for anyone who had information on the three boys to contact the Gloucester police. "Everything we did gave us zero results. No hit on DNA or fingerprints. Only quacks contacted the police..." Graham sighed.

The younger personally thought that the cult theory was the most appealing lead they had. The boys had clearly had the life scared out of them. They all shared the same symptoms: pale skin, freezing body temperatures, lifelessness, unresponsiveness, and a strange mark on the back of their necks. "Did the police look into the marks on their necks?"

Graham rubbed the back of his neck as the pair headed down the hall. Due to the earliness of the hour, the only people they passed were a janitor and the nurse in charge of the wing. "I'm not sure, but it would've made sense if they did. I mean, it's a lead, isn't it?"

"That's true," conceded Caleb. He sighed. "I wish I could help, but I don't know what's wrong with them. There's really nothing to diagnose: nothing came back wrong in their bloodwork, or in the tox screens. They're perfectly healthy, as far as internal health. Maybe you should consider calling in a therapist? I know a reliable one." Caleb's best friend's wife, Kate, was a therapist who would be more than happy to help.

"I suppose that could help." Caleb could tell that his colleague wasn't impressed by the idea. However, he was a damn good doctor and he put his patients first. "Can you give me her number? I'll give her a call in a few hours, at a normal time."

The brunette chuckled, a quick glance at his watch showed him it was 4:27 AM. He wrote Kate's work number on the back of one of his cards. He handed it to Graham. "Her name's Kate Parry. She's good. And, knowing her bleeding heart, she'll be more than happy to help."

Graham pocketed the card with a tired smile. Caleb prayed that he wouldn't end up like Graham: aged fifty, divorced with three kids and married to his job. He held a lot of respect for his superior but he knew that he was not a happy man. "Hopefully," Graham said as he shook Caleb's hand. "We need all the help we can get with these boys."

Caleb nodded his agreement as they reached the entrance of the hospital. Cold, crisp morning air sent shivers up their spines. "Thanks for the files," Caleb gestured to the manila files under his arm. "I'll have a better look tomorrow, and I'll call you if I find anything."

"Thanks again, Caleb. Even though you're insane for seeing me at four o'clock in the morning." Graham shook his head.

Caleb chuckled, heading towards his Mercedes. "You're welcome," he tossed over his shoulder.

He heard the other doctor's footsteps fading as he returned to the hospital. Caleb sighed. He had felt the strange pull of the Power as he had observed the three patients, but he'd narrowed it down to his personal restlessness. He fished his keys from his pocket, popped open the doors and slid into the driver's seat. Placing the folders on the passenger's seat, the exhausted man let his head drop onto the headrest. He closed his eyes and resisted the urge to fall asleep then and there.

Caleb shook himself from the welcoming call of slumber and started the ignition. He reminded himself that he had a beautiful wife and a son waiting for him at home. In fact, he wouldn't be surprised if Sarah was awake and waiting for him when he returned. He chuckled to himself as he reversed and peeled out of the hospital car park: Sarah was a woman like he'd never encountered. Sometimes he thought of her devotion to him as idiocy: not sleeping for 43 hours because her husband was in surgery counted as idiocy in his book. Especially since she was eight months pregnant at the time.

The young doctor sighed for the millionth time that night. This case was haunting him and even the sweet memories of his wife could keep his mind off it. The streets were quiet tonight in Gloucester and it gave Caleb the time to think. He decided, fifteen minutes later, that he was incapable of thinking at five in the morning and would get his wife to give him a reality check later in the day.

* * *

"Sarah, my love?" Caleb placed his hand on his wife's shoulder gently. He smiled as she turned to look at him. "I need your help."

Caleb had returned home from Gloucester at some ungodly hour and had slept most of the day. He had awakened to be smothered by his son, Nicholas. The boy was grateful his dad was home. Caleb had grinned at the assault and hugged his son close to his chest. Both Danvers had grins on their faces when they separated.

His son often amazed Caleb. In his eyes, Nicholas was the greatest achievement in his life, apart from his marriage to Sarah. His son was him in miniature: shaggy brown hair that he refused to cut, wide brown eyes and tanned skin. He was small and slim at the moment but both Caleb and Sarah knew that it wouldn't last long. After all, the boy was only eleven.

"You're back!" Nicholas sung happily. He never hid his enthusiasm when his father was home as it was a rare occurrence. Caleb had promised himself he would always there for his son, unlike his own childhood.

"Yes, I am, buddy," Caleb grinned and tousled his son's hair. Nicholas batted it away.

"It's almost dinner time." Nicholas frowned slightly. "Hey, why are you still in bed?"

The older man swung himself out of bed and his son followed. "I got home early this morning, and went to bed. I went to Gloucester last night."

Nicholas's frown deepened. "More doctor stuff?"

Caleb raised an eyebrow: his son was more observant than people gave him credit for. "Yes, more doctor stuff."

His son made a face. "Sounds wicked boring."

"You have no idea, Nick," Caleb humoured him.

Together they walked out of the room and descended the stairs. Nicholas left Caleb in favour of the living room, settling himself in front of the television. The older brunette just shook his head in exasperation and continued toward the kitchen. His wife was in there, standing in front of the stove as she stirred something and hummed to herself. He came up behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Sarah, my love? I need your help."

She turned her head and placed a small kiss on his cheek. Love shone in her eyes. Sarah shook her long blonde hair behind her shoulder and turned back the stove. "What's the matter, Caleb?"

"I need a reality check," the brunette sighed as he perched himself on a stool at their breakfast bar.

Sarah added something to the pot in front of her. "Over what? This case?"

"Yes," was Caleb's reply.

"Well, I can't help you with only that information." Caleb appreciated her attempted to raise his spirit but it wasn't working. She, bless her heart, realised it too. "Okay, what's bothering you?"

Caleb sighed and started tapping his fingers on the counter. It was a habit he'd picked up from his best friend, Pogue, in high school. "It's just... the whole nature of it. We have three patients: all ten-year-old boys. All three look like they're on the brink of death, but they're perfectly healthy. Internally, at least. All three won't even open their eyes, let alone communicate. All three have the same symbol on the back of their necks. All three are John Does. The police have no leads, and neither do the doctors, because there's nothing to investigate!"

Sarah had listened to Caleb carefully, noting how his voice had become frustrated towards the end of his tirade. This case was getting to him. "Well..." she started slowly. "Did you think about asking Kate to have a talk to the boys? See if she can get anything out of them?"

Caleb nodded. "Yeah, I gave her number to Graham. The doctor in charge at Gloucester," he elaborated after remembering Sarah didn't know who Graham was.

"Then, there's really nothing you can do," Sarah continued. "You will just have to wait for Kate and see if she can get anything."

The brunette knew she was right, but he still didn't like hearing it. He hated feeling useless and waiting for other people to do their jobs so he could do his. It was the most frustrating part of his job in his mind. "I hate it when you're right."

His wife smiled. "You can't be the smartest one in this relationship all the time. Have you got the case files?"

Caleb nodded again. "Yeah, I might've left them in the Mercedes."

Sarah shook her head, taking three plates from a pile in the cupboard. "If it makes you feel better, go over them. Knowing you as well as I do, you'll go over them with a microscope before you're satisfied. Just cross your fingers and hope you find something else to investigate."

Caleb couldn't believe how understanding his wife was. He knew he had neglected her during his studies and sometimes still did, and he did everything he could to make it up to her. But she understood him. She understood his passion, his drive to help people. And her understanding nature was probably the one thing that kept them together for the past fifteen years. He rose from the table to fetch his keys, pressing a kiss to his wife's cheek on the way past.

"I love you, Sarah," he told her.

A small smile graced her lips. "I love you too, Caleb."

It was close to eleven when Caleb's cell phone chimed, the vibration causing the glass of the living room coffee table to rattle. He picked it up, the little screen flashing blue. Kate's name blinked at him. He flicked it open, hoping her message brought good news.

_Hey. :) Spent 3 hrs w/ the boys. Got nothing. Bt they knew I was there. I could tell by their body language. I'm going back tomorrow. I want u to come w/ me. Tht ok? - Kate._

Caleb frowned, re-reading the message. _They knew I was there. _The doctor had known that they were aware of what was going on. What he wanted to know was why they didn't do anything. Surely, if they were from a cult (which was the best theory at the moment), they would've reacted to the presence of himself, Doctor Taylor or Kate. But they didn't... That was what annoyed Caleb. They were going around in circles.

Hopefully, tomorrow would reveal something. Caleb sighed. Sarah had retired to bed over an hour before, but Caleb was nowhere near tired. A consequence of sleeping all day, he supposed. Resigned, the brunette pressed the little 'reply' button.

_OK. I'll go w/ you. Sarah won't b happy though. I'll pick you up at 7?_

He placed the phone on the lounge beside him and looked back at the files before him. Caleb had always considered himself a vigilant man: he didn't miss much. But this case was proving him wrong. He could not find a single thing that could help him. At the moment, the only lead they had was the mark on the back of their necks. Hopefully the police had found something. _I'll go see Reid tomorrow_, he thought to himself. _I'm sure Kate won't mind._

Speaking of Kate, his phone chimed again. Kate's replying message was short and sweet.

_7 it is. C u then. Goodnite. _

Caleb smiled for the first time in what seemed like days. His favourite thing about his best friends' wife was her bluntness. Kate always called it how she saw it. It annoyed him sometimes when he was the one at the end of her ire, but he respected her and knew it was a good quality to possess.

_Goodnite, _he replied.

Deciding he needed to sleep before tomorrow, Caleb closed all three files and pocketed his phone. Extinguishing the lamp that had lit the room, the brunette headed out and climbed the stairs, depositing the folders in the desk in their foyer. He gently opened his bedroom door, hoping not to wake his wife. His caution was needed: Sarah was propped up against the headboard of their bed with a book in her lap.

She smiled at him gently, which he returned. He thought it incredible that they still loved each other as much as they did when they first met. Caleb sat on the edge of the bed, placing his cell on the bedside table. He felt Sarah shift slightly and her hand touched his shoulder. The blonde always knew when her husband was suffering emotional turmoil. Caleb could never lie to her.

"So what are you going to do tomorrow?" Sarah asked quietly.

Caleb smiled at her: she knew he always had a game plan. "Kate and I are going back to Gloucester to have another look at the kids."

It was a sign of her trust that she didn't get offended when he said he was going to spend the day with another woman. "'Going back'? What did she say about today?"

"That they never said a word," Caleb huffed, "but that she knew that they knew she was there."

"Huh." Sarah responded. She was out of her element on this one. "I'm glad you and Kate trust each other enough to break doctor-patient privilege."

Caleb chuckled, donning his sweatpants. "We really have to control that, hmm?"

Sarah nodded her head. "Most definitely."

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**Author's Note: **Chapter one of my new fic. This story is my baby at the moment, so I hope I get good reviews! Next chapter should be up soon.


	3. II

**All That I'm Living For  
**by  
Jade Fervidus

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**Rating:** T  
**Pairing/s:** Caleb/Sarah, Pogue/Kate.  
**Genre:** Mystery/Friendship  
**Fandom:** The Covenant

**Warnings:** Mentions of **excessive drug/alcohol **usage, the end of this chapter may be a little scarier than I intended... Exercise caution, lovelies. Possibly a few **curses** thrown in.

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**Disclaimer: **I do not own The Covenant, its characters or settings: Renny Harlin and Screen Gems do. I just like using them for my own tales.

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**II**

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Caleb awoke to the quiet tune of his mobile's alarm. The light of the little screen was enough to shake him awake. It, however, painfully reminded him that it was 5:30 AM. He snapped the phone shut before the light could wake Sarah. Stifling a yawn, Caleb rolled out of bed and padded over to their ensuite.

After a warm shower and a shave, he felt wide awake. He dressed in black slacks and pale blue dress shirt. He slipped his phone into his pocket after putting on his shoes and leaned over to kiss Sarah gently on the forehead. She stirred but didn't wake. Smiling slightly, Caleb left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.

He headed towards the kitchen, only to find the light on. Nicholas was sitting at the counter. His son had a half-full glass of juice and an empty bowl in front of him, and he was writing furiously in a journal. Caleb cleared his throat loudly, laughing when his son jumped a foot in the air and turned around.

Nicholas scowled when he saw who it was. "Dad, you scared the shite out of me," he muttered petulantly.

Caleb was still chuckling as he walked over to the refrigerator and withdrew the breakfast juice. "Sorry, buddy, I couldn't help myself," Caleb smiled at his son. "And don't let your mother hear you talking like that."

He laughed at the innocent expression on his son's face. It was the face he always used to pull when he knew he was in trouble. Luckily for Caleb, his mother believed it most of the time. He poked his son in the arm gently. "Don't use that face on me," he chided. "I invented that face."

Nicholas feigned surprise. "Are you really that old?"

Caleb was suddenly staring at another one of his best friends, Reid Garwin. "I think you're been hanging out with Uncle Reid too much," Caleb told his son.

"Heck, no!" Nicholas had a jubilant smile on his face. It made Caleb's heart warm. "Cooper started it."

_Figures, _thought Caleb to himself. _That boy is the exact replica of his father. _"That doesn't surprise me."

Nicholas just smiled. "So why are you up so early, Daddy?"

The older man had never liked hiding the truth from his son, so he answered honestly. "Your Aunt Kate and I are going to the hospital in Gloucester. And then I'm going to see Uncle Reid for special doctor/police business."

Nicholas was quiet for a moment, his dark hair falling in his face. He brushed it behind his ear before replying, "Is it about those little boys who were on the news?"

Again, Caleb reminded himself to never underestimate the brain power of his son. "Yes."

The young boy nodded, but didn't say anything further. Caleb deducted that his silence meant he knew that it was none of his business. The man couldn't imagine how many questions his son must've had swirling in his head. It made him indescribably proud of him.

Caleb finished his drink and glanced at his watch: 6:23 AM. He had to leave soon or he would be late. "Alright, Nick, I'll be back home tonight." Nicholas only nodded. "Try and stay quiet until your mother gets up."

The boy nodded again, returning to his journal. Caleb burned to read it but ignored his curiosity. His son needed his private outlet and he wasn't going to stick his nose in. "I love you," he said instead, tousling his hair.

"I love you too, Dad," Nicholas replied, distracted. "Even if you do constantly mess up my hair."

Caleb chuckled, strolling into the foyer to retrieve his keys, patient files and his jacket before stepping outside. He checked his watch in the early morning sun: it turned 6:31 AM. He nodded to himself. He was right on time.

* * *

The gravel drive of his family's mansion crunched under his feet as he headed towards his Mercedes. Popping the doors and seating himself, Caleb looked up to the sky and prayed that he and Kate would make a breakthrough.

Twenty minutes later, Caleb pulled into the drive of his best friend's home. It was a modest size with a huge backyard for Pogue and Kate's children to play in. The doctor sighed to himself: when Kate had fallen pregnant with their second child, all of the Covenant were gobsmacked. He and Pogue had then found a passage in the Book of Damnation that stated females could be born into a line of the Covenant if the parents already bore a male heir. This had been a low blow to Pogue: the oldest Son knew that all Pogue ever wanted was a little sister. So his brother had simply made himself happy with his wife having a daughter. Jackson was now eleven and his sister, Roxanne, was four.

Caleb stepped out of the car and pushed the door shut. He weaved his way up the garden path to the front door and knocked a few times. The doctor heard shrill squeals that could only be from Roxanne and the tired bargaining of his best friend. Caleb was grinning when Pogue opened the door.

"Hey, man," Pogue shook Caleb's hand as best as he could while trying to contain his hyperactive daughter. The little girl was giggling happily and trying to jump on Caleb.

"Hey," Caleb replied. He pocketed his keys before plucking Roxanne from Pogue's arms. "How's my favourite little girl doing?" Caleb cooed at her playfully.

Pogue just shook his head and lead them into the house. Roxanne babbled nonsense happily to Caleb and he just chuckled and listened, attempting to avoid her flapping arms. Pogue liked seeing his brother happy, knowing he wouldn't have a daughter of his own.

"So how's Sarah?" asked Pogue conversationally when Caleb placed Roxanne on the floor. She ran off as fast as her little legs could carry her, squealing all the way. The brothers chuckled.

"Yeah, she's alright," Caleb smiled. "Not happy with me being away all the time but she understands."

Pogue nodded: he knew the feeling. He headed towards the kitchen to find something to feed his daughter. "She's a good woman, Cay."

Caleb nodded his agreement, leaning against the doorframe. He watched Pogue curiously. When they were teenagers, Caleb never would have expected his reckless, fun-loving, biker best friend to be a devoted father of two and a husband. Pogue Parry never seemed to be the domesticated type. Wow, had Caleb been wrong. While Kate worked fulltime as a therapist, Pogue ran a bike garage from home. He looked after the kids, cleaned, cooked, everything. _What a good house husband, _Caleb thought with a mental chuckle.

Pogue was oblivious to his observer as he popped bread in the toaster. "It'll be fifteen years in a few days..." he said quietly.

That shook Caleb from his stupor. He struggled to suppress his emotions. If you had asked the teenage Caleb where he thought Tyler Simms would be in fifteen years, the answer wouldn't have been, 'I don't know.' The brunette kept Tyler at the back of his mind. His disappearance always tugged at his heart and caused him misery. After fifteen years he was still not over not knowing where his youngest brother was. "I can't believe we still don't know..."

His blond brother sighed and scrubbed his hands over his face. "I know, man. It hurts so bad." Pogue's voice cracked, leaving Caleb with no doubt about his honesty. "He just... vanished. I miss him."

"So do I," admitted Caleb.

They both fell silent, both lost in the memories of their brother. Tyler had simply left for college and never returned. The entire Covenant had searched high and low for the missing sibling until there was nowhere left to look. His 'death' had destroyed their lives. Reid went through a period of hardcore drug and alcohol abuse that landed him in rehabilitation for three years. Caleb didn't talk to anyone for weeks, aside from Sarah. Pogue had left for a month, to get his head sorted. Caleb still didn't know where he had gone. Over time, the pain had faded ever so slightly. Their memories kept him alive and their Power kept him in the family.

The pop of the toaster shook the men from their reverie. Pogue was spreading peanut butter on the slices when Kate walked in, dressed in black pants and a flattering red blouse. She smiled at the two men, walking over to Pogue and pecking him on the cheek. "Morning, honey. Hey, Caleb."

"Hey, Kate. You're running late," Caleb chided.

The woman poked her tongue out. "You'll survive, Danvers."

Caleb just laughed. At that moment, excited squeals announced the arrival of Roxanne, who was closely followed by her older brother. Jackson was dressed in only pyjama pants and was yawning. The adults didn't need to ask to know that Roxanne had taken it upon herself to wake her brother up. He waved at Caleb. "Hey, Uncle Cay."

"Hey, Jacks," Caleb replied in amusement. He watched the boy yawn again. "Rough night?"

"Short night," supplied Kate, sipping a coffee. "He was on the phone to Cooper at one o'clock this morning."

"It's not my fault he won't shut up," muttered Jackson as he sunk into a chair by the dining table. "He's hard to deter."

Pogue and Caleb chuckled, knowing that Cooper got it from his father. It was definitely a Garwin trait. Reid's father, Joseph, was also like that. "He gets it from his father," chuckled Pogue, placing a plate of toast in front of his son.

"Mm, tell me about it," sighed Kate. She placed her mug on the bench and shook her hair out. "Anyway, Caleb, we'd better go. It's going to take a while to get there as it is."

Caleb nodded. "On the way home, I want to drop in and see Reid. I need to ask him something. You okay with that?"

"Yeah, of course," Kate smiled. She gave Pogue and her children a kiss each. She grabbed her purse. "Okay, let's hit the road."

* * *

"Thanks for coming back again," Graham said quietly. "Both of you. I really appreciate your help."

Both Kate and Caleb waved off his thanks, insisting it wasn't necessary. The three doctors were watching their patients through one-way glass, not unlike that in police interrogation rooms. They had not moved in the twenty minutes that they had been watching them. It was worrying all of three of the adults but the machines connected to the boys reassured them that they were all okay. Kate sighed deeply.

"I suppose it's time to give this another try." Her voice was hushed, like she was afraid of what could happen.

Caleb nodded his agreement with trepidation. An uneasy feeling had settled in his stomach and a lump had risen in his throat. _Get it together, Danvers, _he told himself forcefully. He didn't know why this case was getting to him so much but he couldn't help it. There was some deep force trying to tell him that they weren't coming out of that room unscathed. "Let's go." He thanked God that his voice was steady.

Together, the three doctors entered the room. The patients didn't move. Caleb tried not to stare at them: his head replaced the bodies of the boys with Nicholas, Jackson and Cooper. He shuddered. A quick glance at Kate showed that she was thinking the same thing. Caleb looked towards Graham, whose face was unreadable. He was determined to find an answer to this case.

Kate moved ahead of the males, heels clicking on the floor. Still the boys didn't move. She cleared her throat gently. "Hey, boys. It's me again, Kate."

The boys twitched slightly but didn't move anything else. Their eyes were still closed. It appeared that they were in some kind of deep slumber, and Kate's voice was a reality that was breaking through a good dream.

Undeterred by their silence, Kate tried again. "I brought some doctors with me. You probably already know them; Doctor Taylor and Doctor Danvers."

Again, no movement.

Kate looked over at Caleb, eyes pleading for his help. He just shrugged: what could he possibly say to three ten-year-olds, who were practically comatose? Seeing he was no help, the woman sent Caleb a scowl before turning to Graham. He seemed to have the same thoughts as Caleb. Suddenly, his pager beeped loudly in the quiet. The boys didn't move. Kate and Caleb watched Graham as he read the pager with a frown.

"Guys, I have to take this," he murmured apologetically. "One of my other patients just went into cardiac arrest." He swiftly exited the room before they could reply.

Kate had a furious look on her face, undoubtedly thinking of him as rude bastard. Of course, Caleb thought so too, but he was a doctor and he knew that Graham had to leave. Kate apparently came to the same conclusion as a soft look spread over her face. Suddenly, the room they were in was more quiet than usual.

The machines that were usually steadily beeping had gone silent. The slight buzzing of the fluorescent lighting had silenced. Even the shallow breathing of the three boys had disappeared.

Kate stepped towards Caleb, fear and shock etched clearly in her features. Her pretty brown eyes widened imperceptibly and she gestured towards the beds. Caleb turned, taking a step backward at the sight that greeted him.

All three boys were sitting up.

Their backs were dead straight. Their eyes were all still closed. What made it even eerier was that their heads were all staring directly at Caleb and Kate. A small part in the back of Caleb's mind commented on how much this was like a cheesy scene from a bad horror movie. Caleb felt Kate grab the back of his shirt and he begged himself to stay strong.

"What do we do?" Kate whispered in his ear. "This isn't normal behaviour."

"I'm working on th-"

"He's after you." The three boys, speaking in unison, interrupted Caleb's sentence. Kate and Caleb's jaws dropped.

"Who is?" asked Kate shakily.

The boy in the middle was the one who replied. "You know who. You tried to kill him. 15 years has passed. Now it's his turn."

Unadulterated fear grasped Caleb's heart. He couldn't mean... Surely, not after all this time... "Chase?"

This seemed to be the magic word. Like a spell had been lifted. Their eyes popped open. Kate stifled a scream by biting her hand and Caleb stopped breathing.

Their eyes were milky white. They were darklings.

* * *

**Author's Note: **-clears throat- You'll have to let me know if this chapter was crap: I've never written anything like it before. Anywho... I hope you guys are enjoying it so far! Next instalment isn't far away!

Remember to review, guys! They feed my ego.


	4. III

**All That I'm Living For  
**by  
Jade Fervidus

* * *

**Rating:** T  
**Pairing/s:** Caleb/Sarah, Pogue/Kate, Tyler/OC.  
**Genre:** Mystery/Friendship  
**Fandom:** The Covenant

**Warnings:** **Cursing**. **Minor horror** for the first bit. Nothing too bad.

* * *

**Disclaimer: **I do not own The Covenant, its characters or settings: Renny Harlin and Screen Gems do. I just like using them for my own tales.

* * *

**III**

* * *

"Darklings," was the only thing Caleb could say.

He should have seen it before. The tingling of the Power had told him, before he even entered the room, that it was dangerous to continue. He now knew why his Power had been irritating him since his first visit. He knew why they never opened their eyes or spoke: because of Graham Taylor.

Chase had created the darklings to speak to Caleb only. Although, he supposed, he factored Kate into the equation because she already knew about the Power. It still didn't stop her from being scared out of her wits right now.

The three boys hadn't moved from their places in the beds, which cause Caleb to frown. Why hadn't they dissipated by now? Chase knew the longer they stayed, the greater the risk of exposure. But they hadn't moved. They just sat there, staring into nothing. Their eyes were clouded with milky white, strangely matching their pale skin. Caleb needed a plan, and he needed one now. But first, he needed information.

"Who's he after?" Caleb shot at the darklings, not really expecting an answer. But how else was he supposed to believe what they were saying?

The darkling in the middle didn't move for a moment. "Tyler."

Caleb froze with disbelief. _Now _the situation was completely surreal. It got even worse when all three young heads looked up at the ceiling. A bright green light shot out of each mouth, disappearing as quickly as it happened. Then realisation kicked in.

They weren't darklings: they had been possessed.

Kate, who had not said a word in five minutes, suddenly tugged Caleb's shirt. "Caleb, look, they're crying."

And it was true. The three boys in the beds were crying, identical looks of fear on their faces. Caleb sighed, realising his life had just gotten more confusing. Not only did he have to consider the possibility of Chase coming back and coming for Tyler, he had three children he had to tend to. Suppressing the urge to yell an impressive string of curse words, Caleb walked slowly over to the nearest bed.

The boy in it was in silent hysterics. Tears streaked down his pale face, deep brown eyes watery. He was shaking and he was clutching the blanket like it was his last tie to sanity. "Hey, what's your name?" Caleb asked quietly.

He shook more violently but opened his mouth to answer. "C-C-Cody." His voice broke as the tears sped up. The boy threw himself into Caleb's lap and started sobbing.

Caleb looked up at Kate, who looked close to crying herself. "Get a nurse in here," he commanded her firmly. "We have a more pressing issue."

Uncertainty clouding her face, she nodded and walked out of the room. It was then Caleb noticed that the light was buzzing again, and the machines were going haywire. He heaved a sigh, deeply conflicted.

His life was about to get a whole lot more interesting.

* * *

Tyler Simms, a man of thirty-two, sat watching his English Literature class. The room was silent, save the ticking of the clock on the wall and the light scratching of pen on paper. He sighed quietly. Sunlight streamed in through the windows on the right side of his class, making the room pleasantly warm. His eyes strayed over his class, over the grounds beyond the window, before settling on the two photographs on his desk.

One was four teenage boys, the other of a man, a woman and three children. Tyler appeared in both of them. He recognised himself on the far left in the first photograph, dopey grin on his face with a blond's arm around his shoulders: Reid Garwin. Reid's curtain of pale hair was reflecting whatever had lit the picture and it was glinting off the beer bottle in his hand. Next to him, in the middle, was Caleb Danvers. His dark hair hung in his brown eyes, which were alight with happiness. He too had a drink in his hand. Finally, there was Pogue Parry on the far right. In his customary black muscle shirt and tight jeans, he was the picture of relaxed as he leant on a pool cue. The image had been taken at Garwin's eighteenth birthday. It made him smile bitterly.

In the other photograph, he was the man, dressed in white dress shirt and dark jeans. He was sitting on a large rock with a pretty brunette woman beside him. Her dark hair hung in her face slightly and she wore a pale yellow dress. The woman was his wife of ten years, Julia. Her smile warmed his heart. Seated on the ground in front of them were his adopted son, James, and his two children, Aidan and Evelina. All three children had identical grins on their faces, all inherited from their mother. James and Aidan both wore dress shirts and darkwashed jeans, while Evelina wore a sundress like her mother. Evelina was in the middle of the two boys, her curls hanging in her face.

Tyler loved these two photos, both for different reasons. The first photo reminded him every day that he had had amazingly devoted friends once. It also reminded him of why he left them in the first place. It also made him feel guilty as hell. The second image, of himself and his family, reminded him of the new start he had made. A life filled with happiness and joy and love, and not pain, despair and fear. It kept his mind in check as well as his heart.

The man pinched the bridge of his nose as he checked the time: three minutes until school was out. He cleared his throat loudly to get the attention of his class. "All right, guys, time to pack it up. We'll finish this off tomorrow."

He heard his class sigh in relief and had to chuckle: he had been the same way in high school. The noise of scraping chairs and the rustle of things being shoved into backpacks reminded him of his better years. It amazed Julia quite often that the teenagers he taught didn't drive him crazy. Tyler had told her it reminded him of his teenage years and she'd accepted that explanation without batting an eyelash.

She was truly the most beautiful woman he'd ever known, aside from maybe his mother. They had met in college when he was twenty and she was nineteen. She had been pregnant at the time but that hardly made a difference to Tyler. They both had their secrets: she never divulged the name of her child's father and he had never mentioned his childhood. They had come to a mutual agreement that if neither of them asked questions, nothing bad would happen.

Later on, after James's birth, Julia had admitted that the father had severed his parental rights because he wanted nothing to do with the baby. Tyler had adopted him five weeks later. And he never regretted a thing.

"Mr. Simms, sir?" Tyler looked up from the photos to see one of his students standing in front of his desk.

"What's up, Hilary?" He asked nicely. Hilary Bevan was a good student. He liked her.

"When is this stuff due?" She motioned towards the stack of paper in her hand and Tyler assumed that it was the analysis he was having them write.

"I'm not sure yet," he admitted with a small smile. "I'll give you a date tomorrow, okay?"

She nodded with relief. "Awesome. Thanks, sir."

He chuckled. "You're welcome."

The bell rung and the classroom emptied. Tyler sighed as his eyes dropped back to the photographs. He missed his teenage friends terribly. But he knew he had done the right thing. If he had never left, he never would've met Julia and he wouldn't have his three children. He couldn't imagine life without them. It wouldn't be right.

He packed his papers and folders into an organised pile and grabbed his coat with his free arm. He had no homework to mark and he was looking forward to just spending the night relaxing with his wife and children. With that in mind, Tyler happily locked the classroom door behind him and strolled down the hallway. A few students wished him a good night, and he returned it. He was in a good mood.

He sighed when he saw an envelope under the windscreen wiper of his car. It was a non-descript white envelope with his name printed neatly on the front. He plucked it out and placed it on the pile in his arms: he would look at it later. If it was that urgent, he reasoned, it would've been delivered to him in person.

After sinking into the driver's seat and depositing the stack of files onto the passenger seat, Tyler reversed out of the teacher's car park and started home. At a set of lights, he felt something dark and powerful settle over him.

It felt like thick tar, slipping over his spine and settling in his stomach. He shrugged it off by wrapping himself in the Power. It scared him, but he had to get home. He had only felt that once before... But it wouldn't be possible for it to happen again because he's left that life back in Ipswich, Massachusetts.

* * *

"It said 'Chase', Reid!" Caleb insisted vehemently. "It was a fucking possession."

The blond ran his fingers through his hair. "Caleb, man, just calm down," Reid pleaded to his older brother. "Gimme a minute to figure out how what you just said can be possible."

The doctor huffed but stayed quiet.

Reid honestly thought Caleb was out of his mind. There was no way that he and Kate had just come from Gloucester Hospital and had encountered three possessed children. And it was especially crazy that the possessing ghost had told them that Chase Collins was back and was after their (presumably) dead baby brother.

_Who says it's crazy? _whispered a small voice in the back of Reid's head.

And it was right. Reid had been born into a world of sheer insanity. Most people would throw him in a loony bin if he told them he was a warlock and he held the Power. He should be used to crazy by now. But what Caleb had suggested was too crazy for him. There was _no way _Chase could be back. It was impossible. It wasn't possible. It wasn't likely after fifteen years.

It was also completely plausible.

No-one had ever actually seen Chase die. The fire-fighters at the barn that night never found a body. There was no proof that Chase had ever died, just probability. It was completely possible that Chase had survived that night and fled, hiding and regaining strength over the years as the Covenant let their guard down. Now, after fifteen years, he was finally strong enough to take them down. But why would he go after Tyler? He couldn't be very up-to-date if he didn't know that they hadn't spoken to Tyler in fifteen years. _Fucking idiot_. The very thought made him snort.

Caleb raised an eyebrow, obviously thinking the snort was directed at him and Kate. "You think we're lying, Garwin?"

Kate looked up. Her eyes slid in and out of focus, but her voice was resolved. "We know what we saw, Reid." Her voice was soft and pleading. "Please. You have to believe us."

"I do," he admitted honestly. "I don't want to even consider the possibility that that stupid wanker didn't die that night... but it's the only lead we've got. It would also explain why we couldn't find anything on the kids." Reid realised he was slipping into cop mode and cleared his throat. "But if it him, Cay, there's nothing we can do here."

Caleb sighed in resignation. "Yeah, I know. But I don't want to cause a panic."

Reid nodded in agreement, but said, "I know but I think that's our only option. Now, here's what we are going to do: Caleb, you are going to Kate home. Kate, you're going to back a bag for you and one for your kids and go to your parents' house. Caleb, when you get home, you're going to bag a bag for Sarah and Nick and send them to her sister's. In the meantime, I'm going to call Dad, Glenn, Wayne and Pogue. We've got a manhunt on our hands."

Kate opened her mouth to protest at being sat on the sidelines but realised that it was the best place for her. She couldn't do anything to help. She sighed.

"Where do you suggest we start looking for Chase?" asked Caleb, shrugging on his jacket.

"We're not looking for Chase," replied Reid simply. "We're looking for Tyler."

His two companions sent him looks that clearly questioned his sanity. "Where do we look for him?" Caleb asked frostily. It didn't take a genius to figure out that he thought Chase was the bigger problem. "We've turned the world upside down looking for him."

"That was fifteen years ago, Caleb," Reid huffed. "A lot can happen in that space of time."

Kate interrupted the oncoming pissing contest before it could start. "While I'm all for finding Tyler," she began cautiously, "why aren't we looking for Chase first?"

Reid settled his icy blue eyes on her brown ones. All he saw was honest curiosity. "Because Chase threatened Tyler, not us. If we find Tyler, we find Chase."

* * *

"Sarah, I don't have time to explain," Caleb ground out, throwing a pair of Sarah's jeans into an overnight bag.

As soon as Caleb had arrived home, he had commanded Nicholas to pack a bag of clothes and meet him in the foyer in ten minutes. His son had been bewildered but followed the order after seeing the expression on his father's face. Pausing to sigh in relief, Caleb had taken the stairs three at a time to his bedroom. Sarah was proving harder to convince than Nicholas.

"Caleb, stop!" The blonde snapped in frustration. "Just tell me what is going on!"

Caleb swallowed his angry retort in attempt to control his frustration. It was hard and his wife was sorely testing his patience. "Chase is back," he informed her stonily.

He instantly regretted his tone as the colour drained from her face. Caleb had forgotten that Sarah had almost died the last time they had seen Chase. Sarah was shaking by the time Caleb had wrapped his arms around her.

"It's okay, Sarah," he murmured into her hair. He felt the hot splashes of her tears sink into his shirt. "He will not get near you or Nicholas, I swear to you."

"He almost killed me, Caleb," Sarah replied shakily. "What makes you think he won't try again.

Caleb heaved an internal sigh as he debated telling his wife the whole truth. He decided honesty was the best policy in this case. "Because he's not after you," he stated cautiously. "He didn't threaten any of us."

Sarah looked up at him with tears glistening on her cheeks. "W-Who did he threaten? Please tell me it wasn't Kate, or any of the kids..."

Caleb could have taken offence to the fact that she hadn't listed Pogue or Reid or any of their parents, but he didn't because he knew that she knew they could take care of themselves. She only worried about the vulnerable people in the Covenant; the children and the children that had been born into it. Even Evelyn, Beatrice, Rosalind and Meredith could take care of themselves, regardless of the fact that they were the mothers of Caleb, Pogue, Tyler and Reid respectively.

The doctor tightened his arms around his wife. He never regretted loving or marrying her but he did sometimes wish that he had never bought her into the Covenant: it had put her in so much danger. Stealing himself, he answered his wife's previous question.

"He threatened Tyler."

Stunned silence met his statement. Sarah was gobsmacked. "You haven't seen or heard from Tyler in fifteen years."

"I know," replied Caleb, defeated. "But we're going to find him before Chase can."

"How?" replied Sarah.

"By any means necessary."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Not much to say at the end of this chapter, readers. Which is something unusual... I hope you like this one, and as usual, please review!

Jade.


	5. IV

**All That I'm Living For  
**by  
Jade Fervidus

* * *

**Rating:** T  
**Pairing/s:** Caleb/Sarah, Pogue/Kate, Rosalind/Glenn, Beatrice/Wayne, Meredith/Joseph.  
**Genre:** Mystery/Friendship  
**Fandom:** The Covenant

**Warnings:** **Swearing**, as normal. **Law breaking in the form of speeding**. Nothing out of control.

* * *

**Disclaimer: **I do not own The Covenant, its characters or settings: Renny Harlin and Screen Gems do. I just like using them for my own tales.

* * *

**IV**

* * *

It was well and truly dark before Caleb pulled in the Garwin's drive. The house was a truly beautiful piece of artwork, with elaborate stone walls covered with climbing flowers, but Caleb didn't have time to stop and smell the roses.

It had been a rough conversation but Caleb had been able to convince Sarah to take Nicholas to her mother's. She had forced him to call her the second they found anything and told him to be careful. They had separated with a quick kiss and a fierce family hug. Nicholas was noticeably scared and confused but he did as he was told. Caleb's heart had been bursting as he watched his son stay strong.

After ensuring that Sarah and Nicholas were safe with Sarah's mother, Louise, Caleb had made a hell of a U-turn and floored it all the way to Reid's family home. He needed to get there as fast as he could, damn the speed limit. He hurried up the path and knocked impatiently on the front door. Reid's mother, Meredith, opened the door within five seconds.

"Caleb," she greeted softly. She knew it wasn't the time to play catch-up. Meredith Garwin may have seemed as plastic as a Barbie doll to many people but she was the exact opposite. She was as fierce and protective as any mother.

Meredith closed the door behind Caleb and lead him into her husband's study. He was the last to arrive, judging by the occupants of the room. Pogue was leaning against the window, biting his finger in worry. He knew it was because of Kate, Roxanne and Jackson: he was worried about them. He stood next to his biker brother and clasped his shoulder in sympathy. He returned the small smile Pogue gave him.

Reid was in the middle of the room, taking control for once. And Caleb was glad to let him. Caleb had been the leader of the Covenant since they were thirteen: it was Reid's time now. All the parents were there: Wayne and Beatrice, Pogue's parents, were listening intently to Reid while casting looks over to their son. Meredith and Joseph, Reid's parents, had determination all over their faces: now Caleb knew where Reid's hard-headedness came from. Finally, there were Tyler's parents, Rosalind and Glenn. Caleb's heart broke as he watched them.

Rosalind was in tears. She had attempted to kill herself when the police had pronounced her only son dead, only to be discovered by Meredith and rushed to hospital. She had taken Tyler's disappearance the hardest, which wasn't all that surprising. Glenn had his arm around his wife but his fury was evident. If someone didn't calm him down, Glenn was going to march out there and murder Chase with his bare hands. Caleb was all for that plan. However, he didn't want to lose his surrogate father in the process. So, strategising it was.

"The only option we have left is to find Tyler, if he's still out there somewhere," Reid concluded his recount of the events that had occurred that afternoon.

Wayne had come to the same conclusion that Caleb had mere hours before: that his plan was insane. "Reid, are you nuts?" he barked. "We looked for Tyler for a year! A whole bloody year! We search the _globe _for him! He obviously doesn't want to be found, if he is actually alive!"

Everyone in the room saw the reproachful look Glenn sent Wayne, apart from Wayne.

Reid sighed but remained steady. "Like I said to Caleb this afternoon, a lot can happen in fifteen years. In all likelihood, Tyler's expected us to stop looking for him and he's let up on his protection."

"What if he really is dead?" Meredith questioned her son.

"If he was dead," Reid cleared his throat as his voice cracked, "his name would be in the Book." He gestured to the heavy tome on the desk across the room. "And it's not."

"Where do we start looking?" asked Beatrice.

"Well, knowing Baby Boy, and I think I can safely say I know him pretty well," This pulled chuckles from everyone in the room, "he'll be hiding right under our noses."

The older Covenant generation caught on with his plan. "So," started Glenn, "Gloucester, Salem, Ipswich, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lynn, Andover?"

Reid thought it over. "No, not Ipswich. It would have been impossible for him to hide from us for fifteen years if we were in the same city. I don't think he'd be in Gloucester, either. He knows that Pogue and I frequent that place too much."

Pogue nodded his agreement. It seemed he was finally accepting the fact that Kate and his children were safe and he was finally revving up like the rest of them. "So that leaves ten of us to cover five cities. Teams of two," he suggested.

Reid nodded in agreement. He began to pair everyone off. "Mom, you go with Dad and take Salem. Caleb, Mrs. Danvers, take Haverhill. Mr. and Mrs. Simms, take Lawrence. Mr. and Mrs. Parry, take Lynn. Pogue and I will take Andover. Is everyone okay with the plan?"

Everyone nodded their assent and began to head off in their pairs. It was agreed that they would call in every half hour unless they found something or were giving up.

Evelyn placed her hand on her son's shoulder to capture his attention. They shared a small smile. "Are you ready to leave?" she asked gently.

Caleb nodded, feeling a lot older than thirty-three. "Yes, Mom. Just give me a minute: I have to ask Reid something. Do you want to go wait by the car?"

Evelyn nodded and strode out the door. Caleb walked over to his best friends. A sickening swirl of emotions roiled within his stomach. Anger, fear, apprehension, uncertainty, worry... But everything paled in comparison to his love for his baby brother. Chase had made a huge mistake on choosing Tyler as his target. And, tonight, they were going to prove it.

"What happens if we do find Tyler?" The oldest asked the blonds. "He's been hiding from us for fifteen years. He's not going to come around if we just ask him to."

A stormy expression crossed Reid's face. He was constantly reminded of Tyler in everything he did. Hell, he'd struggled not to name his son Tyler all those years ago. "Tell him Chase is back. And that he's after him."

* * *

Caleb and his mother were silent as the doctor sped his Mercedes towards Haverhill. It was calming and unnerving at the same time. It took a minute to realise that the strange noise he could hear was his mother sniffling.

He cast her a quick glance, not wanting to take his attention off the road, and saw the tear tracks on her delicate cheeks. He found her hand and squeezed it gently. Evelyn squeezed back in return. "What's wrong, Mom?" Caleb asked her quietly.

"It's silly, dear," she attempted to reassure him, "don't worry about it."

"Mother, you haven't cried since Nicholas was born." And that was the absolute truth: Evelyn Danvers had not cried once since the birth of her grandson. "Please don't lie to me."

He heard Evelyn sigh. Caleb had no doubt that his mother was a strong woman. He also knew that she didn't know her own strength and relied on alcohol to get her through her troubles times. "It's just... this Collins boy has destroyed this Covenant before. He almost killed Pogue, as well as Kate, in the attempts to kill you. He held Sarah captive, for Pete's sake! H-He killed your father. And now he's after Tyler, who hasn't done a single thing wrong! It's not fair!"

The younger Danvers stayed quiet as his mother ranted. He knew it was all true apart from the bit about his father. Caleb knew that his mother had run to his father that night and begged him to will away his Power. He squeezed her hand gently again. "I know how you feel, Mother," he admitted quietly, eyes focussed on the asphalt. "Believe me, all of those thoughts have crossed my mind. But that's why we have to find him. We have to make him pay for everything he has done. Kate and Sarah and the children are safe, so we don't have to worry about them. All we have to do now if find Tyler." Caleb's voice was stronger than he felt.

Evelyn nodded, feeling much stronger. She gave her son a good once over. He had become the brilliant, strong, loving son she had desired, so very different from his father. Love blossomed in her chest and she couldn't help her smile. "Yes," she agreed softly, "Tyler's the important thing now."

* * *

Reid felt like hitting something. Punching and raging until whatever he was striking shattered into a million pieces. Unfortunately, as he was the one driving, he couldn't do anything but break the law by doing double the speed limit. The blond had admitted to himself a long time ago that his best friend and younger brother was gone. They would no longer get shitfaced together, laugh at cheesy horror movies or hit on pretty girls again. It had killed him, forcing him into a life he later regretted immensely.

He spent a year on a drug and alcohol binge, taking anything and everything he could to take the pain away. But, thankfully, he hadn't caught anything from this dark period. The last thing he needed was a reminder of how dangerous that time of his life had been. Then he had met Madison, a pretty woman who worked as an accountant for his parents. Rather story-like in his opinion, they had then fallen in love, got married and Madison had given birth to their son two years later. He couldn't suppress the smile that the picture of his son caused, no matter what was happening.

Reid had sobered a lot after Cooper arrived. His son had reminded him that he wasn't only looking after himself anymore. He had a wife and a son to care for. So he had pushed Tyler to the back of his mind, never forgetting him but not wallowing any longer.

A growl interrupted Reid's thoughts. He cast a sidelong glance at Pogue, who had his hands fisted in his hair. He recognised it as a sign that his older brother was more than pissed. "Talk to me, man," Reid demanded.

Pogue huffed. "Chase is a dead motherfucker when I find him," he growled. Reid nodded in agreement. "And so is Tyler as soon as I find _him_."

"That's a little harsh, don't you think?" The younger blond vehemently agreement with Pogue but he felt the urge to defend his best friend. "Yeah, I'mma kick his ass too, but I'm sure he did what he thought was right at the time." He focussed on the road in front of his, still driving double the limit, as he felt his brother's glare on him.

"It wasn't right if it destroyed all of us and almost killed you," Pogue ground out. Wow, he really was pissed. "You should be the last person to defend him, Reid."

Not wanting to start a fight, Reid cleared his throat to quash his rising temper. "Maybe," he voiced his thoughts, "but I'm going to forgive him as soon as we find him. He's his own person. I mean, he has his own life and he was living it. Sure, we wanted him to be with us but that obviously wasn't what he wanted."

Pogue sighed in defeat. "Since when are you the reasonable one?"

Reid snickered. "Since all of you pussies fell off your high horses."

He heard Pogue chuckle and pressed his foot down on the accelerator.

* * *

Caleb and Evelyn entered Haverhill less than half an hour later. The blackness of the night calmed them slightly. A side affect of living his life in secrecy, Caleb supposed. There was only one problem the darkness posed; how were they supposed to find anyone in the middle of the night? Caleb huffed, reminding himself to slap Reid for not making them wait until morning. It was a stupid idea, he realised now.

He sighed and his mother chuckled. "Are you thinking that we should have waited until morning to start this?" she asked, still smiling.

"Something like that," Caleb laughed. "That's the last time I let Reid get riled up and force me to do something."

"He's just desperate to find his brother, my love," Evelyn replied lightly. "Don't fool yourself into thinking you wouldn't have done the same thing."

Her son nodded in agreement. "That's true, but it still doesn't make it a smart plan, does it?"

"No, I suppose not," Evelyn laughed.

Caleb smiled, loving that his mother was in a good mood. He sighed and pinched his nose. "I have to call Sarah and Nicholas. She'll castrate me if I don't."

Evelyn bit her lip in amusement but nodded. "I suggest you pull over before you receive your verbal vasectomy."

The younger Danvers laughed, never minding that those words sounded weird coming from his mother's mouth. He found a deserted parking lot outside of a small restaurant and parked the Mercedes. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and scrolled through his contacts until he found his in-law's phone number.

"_Hello?" _Sarah's mother answered the phone. She sounded weary, more than likely tired, but he didn't seem to have awoken her. For that he was grateful.

"Hello, Mrs. Wenham," he greeted politely. "It's Caleb. May I speak to Sarah?"

He heard a chuckle. _"She's been your wife for over a decade now, so I can't really stop you." _Caleb smiled himself. He heard Mrs. Wenham call Sarah's name and static before Sarah's voice greeted him. _"Caleb! How are you? Is everything okay? What's going on?" _The doctor didn't like the worry in her voice.

"Sarah, calm down," he scolded her gently. "Everyone is fine. I'm fine, just a little tired. Everything is okay." He then began to explain Reid's plan and how they had separated. Sarah stayed silent through the explanation.

Sarah hummed over the phone. _"Wouldn't it have been wiser to wait until morning? I mean, you can't do much at this time of night." _

"I'm glad I wasn't the only one who came to that conclusion," chuckled Caleb. "I was thinking that Mother and I should just take a look around town, make sure there's no presence of Chase. If there is, we can only assume that Tyler is here."

"_So you're positive Tyler's alive and well?" _The man heard his wife's scepticism easily.

"Positive," replied the brunette. "I figured that Chase has to know where Tyler is and that he's alive, otherwise he wouldn't have threatened him. I mean, it does sound ludicrous but Chase isn't as stupid as we first thought."

"_I suppose that's true,"_ Sarah replied. _"But this could be a trap. Chase could know that Tyler is dead and is just baiting you to keep the Covenant apart. You have to be careful. Like you said, Chase isn't stupid."_

That thought had never occurred to Caleb. What if it was a trap? Chase could be hiding in the shadows at this very moment. He cast his dark eyes around the vicinity, not detecting anyone else apart from his mother. "I hadn't thought of that," admitted Caleb.

Sarah chuckled. _"Honey, you know I love you, but you do have trouble thinking straight if something threatens your family."_

"And that's the way it should be," Caleb finished.

"_Yes, darling," _Sarah replied sweetly. _"Look, I have to go. Mom needs my help and Nicholas is sleeping. Keep staying safe, okay? I love you."_

"I love you, too," Caleb replied. "Don't worry about me."

He heard Sarah snort. _"Yeah, that's likely. Goodnight."_

"Goodnight," chuckled her husband. He flicked his phone shut when the dial tone sounded from his wife's end. He heaved a sigh and cast his eyes over to his mother. Caleb kept his mouth shut, seeing his mother was on the phone.

"Yes. Of course, Rosie," his mother spoke quietly, consolingly. It made sense that she was on the phone to Rosalind.

He sighed again. The man rested his head against the steering wheel, not able to gain control of his thoughts. The words of his wife haunted him. _'What if it's a trap?' _This possibility hadn't occurred to Caleb and it probably hadn't to anyone else either. Chase was undeniably clever, a factor they had not counted on fifteen years ago. He knew, this time around, Chase wouldn't make the same mistakes as he did back then. Every fibre in his body told Caleb that Chase knew exactly where Tyler was, whether or not he had a family and that the Covenant had spent years looking for him, guessing they would jump on any lead to find him.

The doctor in Caleb thought back to the young boys he and Kate had left at Gloucester. All three hadn't remembered a thing from their possession. It was as if their memories had been wiped clean, or they had been knocked out completely. They had remembered their names and where they were from but not much else. Caleb would have given his soul to help those little boys. However, he needed to get to the bottom of what was happening.

A small click shook Caleb from his thoughts: his mother had snapped her phone shut with a disturbed look upon her face. "Rosie has spoken to Reid and Pogue. They admitted that they didn't think the plan through, but they stick by it." She shook her head in exasperation. "They ask us to find somewhere to sleep and call in at 7:15 tomorrow morning."

Her son shook his head. "Idiots," he mumbled.

Evelyn just smiled.

* * *

**Author's note: **Well, there's a few reasons why this chapter was fairly jumpy. Having never been to Massachusetts (or even America), I expected the cities to be further apart. Then it occurred to me that I should actually research it properly, and I discovered they were actually quite close. However, I had written too much to delete it all and start again, so I merely filled in the blanks with anything I could. So, sorry for the confusion!

On another note, I'm so sorry it's been ages since I've updated! I've found it quite difficult to write the upcoming chapters. On top of that, I have exams this week and next week. Luckily for me, it's holidays after that and updates should be a-rollin'! :)

Please review!


	6. V

**All That I'm Living For  
**by  
Jade Fervidus

* * *

**Rating:** M  
**Pairing/s:** Tyler/Julia  
**Genre:** Mystery/Friendship  
**Fandom:** The Covenant

* * *

**Warnings:** Nothing, from what I can tell. Possibly a few **cuss words**. Severe cuteness.

* * *

**Disclaimer: **I do not own The Covenant, its characters or settings: Renny Harlin and Screen Gems do. I just like using them for my own tales.

* * *

**V**

* * *

From the moment he woke up, Tyler could tell it was going to be one of those days. His blue eyes opened and were immediately assaulted by the sunlight of the early morning. The pale curtains did nothing to shield the room's occupants from the outside world. He could feel the warm body of his wife not far from his own. The brunette smiled as he rolled to face her.

She was awake. Her green eyes sparkled in the sunlight and her dark curls framed her face. Her full lips curved into a smile when she saw Tyler looking back at her. "Morning, love," she said quietly, leaning forward to plant a soft kiss on her husband's lips.

Tyler pushed a few curls from her eyes. "Morning, Jools," he whispered. "How you feeling?"

Julia grinned at the nickname. "I'm good. I'm feeling a lot better." Tyler's wife had been sick for the past few weeks. He was glad to see the colour returning to her cheeks.

"That's good," Tyler sighed in relief. He moved to roll out of bed.

Julia followed suit and followed him downstairs. Tyler took in his house with pride: he had built her from scratch, just like the rest of his life. He knew he had a huge inheritance, totalling a few million dollars, in his trust fund but he hadn't touched it. After college, he'd found himself a good paying job as a high school teacher. He'd had the same job for just under ten years and he loved it. Julia had chipped in too, having practiced Law for a few years before falling pregnant with their son. She now worked from home so she could raise their kids.

They lived on a quiet street in Haverhill, Massachusetts. Their young children weren't yet old enough to torment their neighbours, so they lived in harmony. The three children simply contented themselves with playing Cops and Robbers in the backyard when they were home. Tyler and Julia strolled into the kitchen; Tyler to the table to sit down and Julia to the coffee machine. The only noise was the hiss and puff of the coffee grinder.

"Are you okay, Tyler?" asked Julia after a minute. Her eyes were clouded slightly and her lips were pulled into a frown.

Tyler smiled slightly. Julia knew him better than he knew himself, thus it was impossible to hoodwink her. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I just have this feeling like something major's going to happen."

She nodded slightly. "Like someone from that mysterious childhood of yours is going to pop back into your life?" she teased gently.

Her husband smiled. It didn't reach his eyes. "I don't think that's likely, love," he said quietly, taking the steaming mug Julia offered him, "but anything is possible."

The two fell silent once again as Tyler became lost in his guilty thoughts. Tyler hadn't told his wife of any part of his childhood. Where he had grown up, his childhood friends, his parents, his legacy and his money were just some of the things that Julia had no clue about. This was one of the reasons why Tyler fell in love with her so quickly; she had accepted him and loved him without knowing who he was. He could have been an utter psycho for all she knew. Of course, he wasn't, but it was the principle of the situation.

He had felt guilty every day for the past twelve years, more so for the past ten. He had lied to his wife, the woman he loved with all his heart, in attempt to keep her safe. He had told he'd had a dangerous childhood and she had accepted that. Julia hadn't known the extent of 'dangerous' but she hadn't pressed him for information. And for twelve years, she had kept her mouth closed. Tyler could see that she was brimming with questions at times and he admired her for keeping them inside. He promised himself that he would tell her one day. Maybe when his son was to Ascend. That gave him another two years to plan it.

Squealing and pattering of feet shook Tyler from his thoughts. His daughter, Evelina, hurried into the kitchen and jumped into her father's lap, smiling cheekily at him. Tyler was still shocked by how much she looked like her mother at times. His daughter and his wife shared the same dark curls, delicate facial features and cheeky smile. They even shared the same slim physique. The only physical feature little Evelina had inherited from her father was his crystal blue eyes.

"Daddy!" she squealed, the sound much too shrill for seven in the morning. "Aidan and James tried to kill me!" Evelina's eyes began to water.

Tyler saw Julia shake her head and smile. He knew it was because Tyler was hopelessly whipped for his daughter and that she exploited it to her advantage. "Aww," the man cooed at his daughter in attempt to console her, knowing she was exaggerating. "What did they do, baby girl?"

Evelina whimpered and buried herself into her father's chest. "Th-They threw a pillow ats me!"

Tyler grinned at his wife, which she returned, before turning his eyes to his daughter. "It's okay, baby, I'll tell 'em off," he whispered conspiratorially.

The tears stopped as quickly as they had come. Oh, yes, Evelina was good. Tyler smiled at his daughter as she giggled. _You're lucky to have fathered something so adorable, _a voice in his head stated proudly. He looked towards the doorway as he shouted, "James! Aidan!"

He didn't miss the grin on his daughters' face as she thought of her brothers getting in trouble.

It was a moment or two before his boys arrived in the kitchen. Both boys were only dressed in sweat pants. That meant they had done it in the spur of the moment, if they had done it on purpose. Tyler thanked every deity he knew of for letting James look like his mother, and not like his biological father: dark hair, green eyes and his wiry frame. He had never met James's real father and he was grateful he would never have to. James was now _his _son, had been for almost twelve years.

Aidan was definitely Tyler's son. The father and son pair shared the same crystal blue eyes, light brown hair and the same build. Tyler was sure that his son was the spitting image of his father at the same age. Aidan also shared his father's passion for learning and sleuthing. Said sleuthing had caused trouble in the past, especially when he had started to ask Tyler about his childhood. It hurt him to lie to his only son, but he wasn't old enough to understand yet. He was only eleven, no matter how intelligent he happened to be.

James and Aidan had their hands folded behind their backs in a show of innocence. Tyler wasn't fooled in the slightest: the grins on their faces gave them away.

"What's this I hear about you attempting to murder your sister with pillows?" Tyler asked neutrally, keeping an excited Evelina still in his lap.

James's eyes widened in mock offence. "Dad," his innocent tone almost made Tyler laugh, "how could you think we'd do such a thing to our gorgeous baby sister?"

"Yeah," Aidan continued. "Why would we hurt someone we're supposed to protect?"

Evelina scowled and jumped up in her father's lap, pointing her finger at her brothers. She looked a lot older than six. "They is lying!" she said firmly. "They threw the pillows at me!"

Tyler ignored her in fear he was going to burst out laughing. "Okay, boys. You're not going to tell me the truth, are you?"

Both boys shook their heads in sync, grins still firmly in place.

"Okay," Tyler conceded. "You both have to give your sister a kiss on the cheek and apologise." He shared a glance with his wife, who was hiding her grin behind her coffee mug. Her eyes sparkled with laughter.

Evelina had a smug grin on her face, knowing she had won. James and Aidan pulled faces but came and planted kisses on her cheeks. They apologised grudgingly. When the boys were finished, Evelina jumped from Tyler's lap and into James's arms. All three of his children were smiling as their father rubbed his thighs absentmindedly: his daughter was far from heavy but her jumping on his legs still hurt. He stood and strolled over to his wife, who was watching the scene with love.

"You know she was playing you, right?" Julia asked with a grin.

Tyler nodded, sipping his coffee. "Yeah. But it's okay, it was nothing serious. Besides, doesn't look like the boys took it too hard." He gestured towards the three kids.

James had Evelina in his lap, pinning her to his legs gently, and Aidan was tickling her. She was shrieking in delight, breathlessly asking the boys to stop. Aidan let up for a moment to let Evelina breathe before starting again. Tyler and Julia watched the display for a moment before asking the boys to let up. The boys stood up and James helped Evelina to her feet.

"You is evil," Evelina looked at her brothers with narrowed eyes. The grin playing around her lips contradicted her annoyed tone.

Tyler headed upstairs to get ready for work as Julia got the kids ready. The horsing around in the kitchen had brought him a laugh, but all he could feel now was a hole in his chest. It had reminded him of the time when he and Reid had tickled Reid's cousin Melanie until she couldn't breathe. It had made all of them laugh, even after Melanie punched both of them in the shoulder. The brunette sighed, putting on his clothes.

He missed them. He hadn't fooled himself all those years ago. Tyler had known full well that he could leave Ipswich and all the things in it behind, but he knew it would be far from easy. The Covenant and Ipswich had been the only family and home he had ever known. Even the memory of William Danvers succumbing to the Power couldn't shroud that. All the happy, warm memories had bombarded him for the months until he had met Julia. He had been tempted into going back more times than he could count but he had remembered why he had left in the first place.

Feeling cold, Tyler descended the stairs and entered the kitchen for the second time that morning. His family was sitting at the table having breakfast. He shook his head when Julia offered him toast. Her eyes clouded with worry and Tyler gave her a reassuring smile: just because he was feeling bad didn't mean she had to as well.

* * *

Tyler arrived at his school half an hour before his class. He headed in the direction of the staffroom, the quiet halls making it easier than usual. He pushed open the door, seeing a few of his colleagues in the room. They appeared to be having an intense conversation judging by the looks on their faces. Lucas Pole, a mathematics teacher, saw Tyler and beckoned him over.

"Hey, Ty," he greeted when he reached the group. He was a few years older than Tyler with blond hair and grey eyes.

"What's going on?" The brunette asked as they shook hands. "You guys look intense."

Amanda Miles, another teacher, cleared her throat. "You know those boys that were on the news about a week ago?" She tucked a curl of red hair behind her ear.

Tyler nodded. The picture of three young boys, around the age of his son, had been shown on the evening news. The newsreader had said they were in Gloucester Hospital and needed information on them. "Yeah, what about them?"

Amanda sighed before she continued. "My best friend works at Gloucester. She said that the boys were practically comatose. They wouldn't move, wouldn't talk… Hell, they wouldn't even open their eyes." She shuddered. "Anyway, the doctor in charge, Graham Taylor, asked for assistance from the doctor in Ipswich. His name was Danvers. Caleb, I'm pretty sure."

Tyler's brain snapped to attention. Caleb was a doctor? He snorted mentally. It made total sense that his oldest brother would become a doctor: he had the brains, money and willpower to do it. Not to mention his urge to help people.

"Anyway," Amanda continued, "Taylor and Danvers couldn't find anything. So, they called some shrink to come see the boys. She came a few hours after Danvers left and she couldn't do anything either. So her and Danvers went back to the hospital the following day. Jane said she thought they were friends; they came in the same car and were pretty friendly…"

Tyler listened intently. Caleb, while far from anti-social, wasn't the type to be buddy-buddy with someone he hadn't known that long. So… he knew the woman he had come with. Tyler wondered who she was.

"-the room was in total chaos." Tyler tuned back into Amanda. "Whatever they did broke the boys. All three were crying when Jane and Louise got there. Then Danvers started babbling about them having to leave and telling Jane to go get Taylor. It was pretty hardcore, apparently," the redhead finished.

"What happened then?" asked Lucas. His eyes were wide.

Amanda shrugged. "I don't really know. Last I heard, they hadn't found anyone related to the boys, so they'll be put in foster care soon."

"That's not right," Tyler frowned. "Did the boys say anything?"

"They got names and cities out of them," answered Amanda, "but the hospital's getting in touch with the police departments in the cities. No luck yet."

"Poor kids," murmured Jean DuPont, the resident French teacher.

All the others could only nod in agreement. The small group dispersed after the clock informed them it was five minutes until the next period. Securely holding his files, Tyler bid his colleagues goodbye and headed towards his classroom. The conversation that had taken place had shaken him.

Why had Caleb been called in from Ipswich? Tyler knew of Graham Taylor, he was notorious in Massachusetts for being the best child doctor. Taylor really must have had no other option if he had called in another doctor for help. As for Caleb being a doctor… Tyler shook his head.

He opened the door to his classroom and placed his files on his desk. He remembered the feeling of the Power sliding over him yesterday and the memory sent shivers down his spine. That couldn't have been Caleb: the Power he had felt suggested darkness. Caleb's Power had always felt like light.

The bell rung and shook the brunette from his stupor. He suddenly remembered the letter that had been on his car yesterday: he had forgotten about it the night before and hadn't opened it. Tyler frowned. _I'll look at it tonight. _

Students began to enter and took their seats. Tyler sunk onto the chair behind his desk and asked them to finished their work from yesterday, and to hand it in if it was completed. The kids gradually quietened, immersed in their work, and Tyler's mind wandered back to its previous thoughts.

What was going on?

* * *

**Author's note: **Hi! Sorry about jumping from the boys to Tyler, but I felt it was time for some Tyler/family action… Don't fret! We'll be back to Caleb and Evelyn and all the others next chapter! And please note that I have changed the rating to 'M'. This is purely for language… At the moment. ;)

I'm ashamed to say that I've found myself at an impasse with this story. I know exactly what's going to happen and when, but I'm finding it difficult to get the words onto paper (or, Word, more accurately). So the next few chapters may be shorter than before but I'm hoping to get past this funk and deliver the story you guys deserve!

Please review!


	7. VI

**All That I****'****m Living For  
**by  
Jade Fervidus

* * *

**Rating:** M  
**Pairing/s:** Mentioned Pogue/Kate, Caleb/Sarah and Tyler/Julia.  
**Genre:** Mystery/Friendship  
**Fandom:** The Covenant

**Warnings: Swearing. **Mentions of **violence.** Nothing too bad.

* * *

**Disclaimer: **I do not own The Covenant, its characters or settings: Renny Harlin and Screen Gems do. I just like using them for my own tales.

* * *

**VI**

* * *

The morning dawned bright in Haverhill, the sunlight rousing Caleb and Evelyn from their slumber. After discussing their options that didn't involve returning to Ipswich, they had decided to find a hotel and spend the night. They had a room within the hour and had settled in for a few hours sleep.

Caleb heard his mother wince slightly as her ageing body protested at her movement. She stretched out and stood, groaning as she remembered she was in yesterday's clothes. Caleb called to his Power, feeling the sparks in his bloodstream and righted his mother's clothes. Evelyn raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.

"Thank-you," she said softly once her son's eyes returned to their ordinary brown colour. She had seen it happen hundreds of times but it still shook her to see her son like that.

"You're welcome, Mother," he smiled. He glanced at the watch on his wrist, 7:03 AM. A sigh escaped him. "I'll have to call Reid in about ten minutes."

Evelyn nodded as she moved towards the small kitchenette in their room. "I expected as much," she called as she rummaged through the cupboards. "You should call Sarah, as well. And Nicholas. My poor grandson is probably worried sick about his sill father…"

Caleb shook his head in amusement. 'My grandson', not 'your son'. Evelyn's love for Nicholas had surprised everyone, especially Caleb and Sarah. The Danvers matriarch had never been a cold-hearted woman but she certainly wasn't the mother Caleb had needed. Although, Caleb supposed, it really shouldn't have surprised him as much as it did. No matter how Evelyn had acted during Caleb's teenage years, she had always loved him. Now she was attempting to right her wrongs with Caleb by loving Nicholas as much as she did.

Checking his watch again, Caleb sighed. He still had a few minutes until his designated call time. The whole situation was taking its toll and Caleb could feel the exhaustion setting in. He pinched the bridge of his nose and took he deep breath to settle his mind. He couldn't afford to let it get to him just yet, he needed to find Tyler before it was too late.

The brunette plucked his cell from his pants pocket and typed Reid's number. He placed it next to his ear and listened to the familiar rings. Caleb thought it was going to ring out as his younger brother answered. "_'__Sup, Caleb?_

Caleb snorted. "Dude, are you still seventeen?"

He heard Reid snicker. "_Pfft, I wish, bitch. Notice you just called me __'__dude__'__. So you__'__re as immature as me. Now, what__'__s your game plan for today?_'

The brunette thought about it for a minute. "I was thinking Mom and I just canvas the town. Ask around, see if anyone knows Tyler. I'm pretty sure he kept his name. Meanwhile keeping an eye out for any Power usage. That'll tip us off."

Reid made a noise in agreement. "_Mm-hm. Sounds reasonable. Pogue and I have been looking around all night, but we couldn__'__t sense anything. I don__'__t think he__'__s here in Andover. If he is, he hasn__'__t Used in a fuckin__'__ long time._"

Caleb nodded to himself. "You reckon he'd have thought to put a shield around wherever he is, like the ones around our houses?" All four mansions belonging to the families of the Covenant had powerful shields that kept away evil. They had been put up by Glenn, Wayne and Joseph after the Chase fiasco.

The brunette heard his younger brother snort. "_Don__'__t know. He__'__s smart enough to consider it, hell, he was the one who found the incantation. But after we stopped looking for him, he could__'__ve taken it down. If he ever put it up at all._"

"What do you mean, 'if he ever put it up at all'?" Caleb asked, perplexed.

"_Ty__'__s not stupid,_" the blond explained. "_If he thought for the slightest second that we were expecting him to put the shield up, he wouldn__'__t have done it. Every single minute that we looked for him, he would have been sidestepping us._"

_True, _Caleb conceded to himself. "I hate it when you're right. Asshole."

"_Jealousy is a curse,_" Reid replied smugly.

Caleb rolled his eyes. "I'd better go, bro. Time's a-wasting."

"_Damn straight,_" muttered the blond. Caleb heard someone speaking to his brother and assumed it was Pogue. The blond's reply was muffled. "_Speak to ya in a half hour._"

"Bye, man," Caleb replied, snapping his cell shut. He cast his eyes over to his mother, who had a mug of coffee in her hands with a frown on her face. "Mother, what's wrong?"

Evelyn's troubled brown eyes flicked up to her son. "Nothing," she replied quietly. "I'm just thinking, my love. You remember what I had said when Tyler first left us?"

Caleb remembered only too well. His mother had been the voice of reason in a group of people who didn't want to accept that their youngest was gone. She reminded everyone of the fact that Tyler obviously didn't want to be found and that they should respect his silent wishes. Her words had caused a rift between the families; the Parrys sided with the Danvers, whereas the Garwins sided with the Simms'. Fortunately, the anger had faded and within a year, everything between the families was good again. "Of course I remember," the brunette replied eventually.

"Well," Evelyn sighed before continuing, "I'm starting to believe that… I was wrong. Tyler's place is in Ipswich, with the people who love him more than anything. I plan to drag him back to Ipswich by his ears, if that's what it takes." Her eyes cleared and Caleb had no doubt that she wasn't joking.

The doctor cleared his throat. "I'll help you."

* * *

Caleb was quickly running out of ideas. It was close to two in the afternoon, the sun still bright and warm. He and his mother had spent all morning going around Haverhill and they found nothing. Reid had informed them that all their parents had thoroughly searched their given towns and hadn't found anything. Glenn and Rosalind had given up and returned to Ipswich, later joined by Beatrice and Wayne. Meredith and Joseph had definitely passed their stubbornness onto their son and were refusing to leave Salem.

Caleb sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He frowned as he realised it was becoming a habit. Tyler wasn't in Lawrence or Lynn. The doctor was also beginning to think that their youngest brother wasn't in Haverhill either. _Is he even in Massachusetts anymore?_ a voice in his head asked him. _America, even?_

He frowned, he shouldn't be thinking like that. Sure, it looked hopeless at the moment but he knew they would find Tyler. They had to. His life depended on it.

Evelyn's soft voice broke Caleb's internal dilemma. "Caleb, honey?"

Shaking his head, Caleb looked up. "Yeah?"

His mother's eyes showed her worry but she didn't say anything. "Do you think it's worth going to the high school? Didn't Tyler want to be a teacher a long time ago?"

Caleb considered the possibility. He did remember Tyler's early childhood dream of becoming a teacher. The young Son had told his oldest brother he wanted to help kids like them. It was sweet, Tyler's eyes sparkled with the thought and making Caleb laugh. The older brunette smiled at the memory. "After twenty-five odd years, you think he would do it?"

Evelyn shrugged slightly, a smile playing around her lips. "Anything is possible, my son."

"Alright then," Caleb's lips quirked.

The mother-and-son pair headed back towards Caleb's Mercedes from their perch in the small park. It was twenty minutes before their arrived at their destination. It appeared to be like any other high school, with the numerous brick buildings and a mass of teenagers scattered around the grounds. Caleb chuckled, the scene causing him to remember the simpler time of his teenage years.

Evelyn appeared in the left side of Caleb's vision. Her face was impassive as she took in her surroundings, surveying all the students with clouded eyes. The man suppressed his snicker, remembering the tricks he and his fellow Sons had played on his mother in his 'tween years. Their shenanigans had caused his mother to distrust every child between the ages of ten and seventeen. He saw the older woman shake her bangs from her face and her eyes flickered toward her son.

Two pairs of dark brown eyes connected. "You ready, Caleb?" asked Evelyn.

Caleb nodded. "Yeah, let's do it."

* * *

It was quiet in Tyler's classroom. The lunch period meant that all the students were outside enjoying the sunshine or in the cafeteria, gossiping about the most recent happenings. Mind you, rumour spreading didn't know many boundaries in high school. The brunette snorted as he thought of his own high school experiences.

When Tyler was in high school, he was one of the four most talked about people. Attending high school in a town where your family was practically royalty was bound to cause whispers and staring. The then-young brunette usually hadn't minded it; he heard the whispers, laughed outright at the most bizarre ones and carried on with his life. It wasn't his fault he was a Simms, or that his family was an upstanding one in the community. His best friends of the time had reacted differently to him, but all within the same severity of reactions. Caleb just ignored everyone apart from the people who were decent to him. Pogue mostly ignored them, only getting angry when they involved something serious. Reid just shot a snarky reply at the poor soul who was unfortunate enough to tell him about the rumours.

Tyler remembered the one situation in their senior year that was the only rumour that riled all of them. Aaron Abbott and Bordy Becklin, the archenemies of their high school careers, had set the rumour mill running with the story that Reid had gotten Pogue's girlfriend, Kate, pregnant. Of course, it had been completely untrue and was designed to get a reaction out of Pogue. Needless to say, Reid and Pogue had started a fight at a local park near Spenser Academy that ended with both blonds bleeding profusely, Bordy with a broken arm and Aaron with a black eye, broken nose and dislocated knee. The mere memory of Aaron and Bordy bandaged up the day after was enough to make Tyler smile.

The brunette shook his head to withdraw from memories. He missed his brothers so much it caused his chest to ache. He still asked himself why he didn't go back to Ipswich and grovel to his brothers and their families to take him and his new family back into their ranks. He was sure, with enough grovelling, they would do just that. Tyler had no doubt in his mind that he had hurt the people he cared about indescribably all those years ago, but he also had no doubt that they would forgive him in time. Even if it took a few punches first.

_I wonder if they have families now, _Tyler pondered to himself as he stared out his classroom window. After fifteen years, he was sure that they did. Wives, definitely sons… Possibly daughters. After all, if Julia was able to have Evelina after she gave birth to their son, the other families could have daughters too. Tyler still didn't understand how Evelina had been conceived but he didn't question it any longer. He wondered if Caleb and Sarah, and Kate and Pogue were still together, and if Reid had managed to settle down yet. From memory, the blond wasn't good at committing to one person.

Tyler continued to stare into the outside world, his mind a mad swirl of memories from his childhood, until a sharp knock on the classroom door sounded. Shaking his head, the brunette flickered his eyes to the source of the noise. It was a secretary from the main office named Clara. She was a young woman, around twenty-five or so, with long red hair and blue eyes. She smiled in apology as she noticed the older man's reverie had been broken.

"Sorry, Tyler, but you've got a few visitors waiting for you in the office. They said it's urgent they see you." Clara hadn't moved from her place in the doorway.

"You didn't bring them with you?" Tyler was confused. Most secretaries bought the visitors to the person they needed to see, unless they had to wait. The teacher was already free, so why had she left them at the office?

An unreadable expression crossed her face. "No," she answered, "but they refused to come with me when I offered to bring them here. They said they'd rather you come to them."

The brunette pinched the bridge of his nose and stood. He pocketed his cell phone and walked over to the door, closing it firmly behind him and Clara. Together the pair headed towards the main office in silence. A few minutes later, they arrived at their destination. Tyler held open the door for the younger woman, feeling the cool blast of air from the interior within. She smiled her thanks and stepped into the office.

With his eyes focussed on the door and closing it quietly, Tyler didn't notice who his visitors were until he turned and found himself almost nose-to-nose with a tall brunette. Tyler blinked and took a step back, roaming his eyes over the figure before him.

Tall, tousled dark hair, deep brown eyes, muscled frame, designer clothes… Tyler felt dread dwell in the pit of his stomach. Oh, had Julia been psychic this morning? A quick glance behind the new arrival revealed an older woman, probably well into her sixties, with peppered dark hair and kind brown eyes.

His visitors were Caleb Danvers and his mother, Evelyn. Tyler had been dreading and waiting for this day for the last fifteen years. And now it was here, he couldn't move. He was a mess of emotion; confusion, suspicion, bemusement, happiness, dread and pure guilt. He could only focus on the two people from his past… How they hadn't gotten much taller but had both developed age lines, how their hair was still the same colour… Then his eyes scanned their faces.

They were pissed.

* * *

**Author's note:** Yes, it is shorter than the others, but I believe that this was the best place to end it. Feel free to disagree, but review enough and the next chapter will be up before you know it!

Thanks for reading, everyone, and please continue to do so!


	8. VII

**All That I****'****m Living For  
**by  
Jade Fervidus

* * *

**Rating:** M  
**Pairing/s: **(mentioned) Pogue/Kate, Caleb/Sarah and Tyler/Julia. **  
****Genre:** Mystery/Friendship  
**Fandom:** The Covenant

**Warnings: **Language, minor violence.

* * *

**Disclaimer: **I do not own The Covenant, its characters or settings: Renny Harlin and Screen Gems do. I just like using them for my own tales.

* * *

**VII**

* * *

Tyler looked good, Caleb could admit that much.

Even with his face twisted into an expression of internal pain, Tyler didn't look much older than he had the last time Caleb had seen him. Same messy black hair, piercing azure eyes, wiry frame, chic but casual clothing… If Caleb hadn't known his true age, he would have guessed that his youngest brother wasn't older than twenty-three. He couldn't even see the lines that Power usage would've caused. Flicking his eyes back to Tyler's face, his own gut twisted at the pain he saw there.

The three stayed silent for another minute or so, until Evelyn stepped forward and embraced the man she considered her youngest son. He stiffened for a moment, before wrapped his arms around Evelyn. "It's been too long, Tyler," she said quietly as they separated.

Tyler nodded and cleared his throat. "Tell me about it." His voice was still choked. He came to rest his eyes on Caleb. He extended his hand and Caleb shook it stiffly. He loved Tyler and was about to pass out with relief, but he couldn't bring himself to be close yet. Caleb cleared his own throat before speaking. "So, do you have somewhere private to talk?" he asked.

Tyler frowned, passing his eyes over the clock on the wall. "Not right now: the bell's about to ring and I have a class. Are the others with you?" This was the tensest conversation Tyler had ever had with Caleb.

The older brunette shook his head. "It's just us," he affirmed. "For now."

Tyler raised an eyebrow but didn't need to comment. Now his location had been revealed, he gave his childhood families a maximum of five hours before his head was on the chopping block. "So beware tonight, right?"

Caleb smirked at the remark. "Damn straight, baby boy. There's a park on the outside of town. Be by the pond there at nine o'clock sharp tonight, okay?"

The younger brunette winced at the slight menace in the older man's voice but knew better than to object. He sighed; all hell was going to break loose in that poor park. "I'll be there."

* * *

It was 8:56 PM and all of the families were in the aforementioned park. After their confrontation earlier in the afternoon, after Tyler had promised them his presence and headed back to class, Caleb had called Reid and informed the blond of what had happened. The next ten minutes of conversation were spent with Caleb holding the cell at arm's length while Reid ranted and raved. Thankfully, the youngest blond had calmed down enough to speak normally and while far from sated, he was reasonable, which was all they could ask for.

Pogue's reaction, apparently, hadn't been much better than Reid's. He too had yelled for a few minutes, mostly about their stupidity and what he was going to do to Tyler when he got his hands on him, etc., but he had also calmed down and was ready to talk reasonably. The parents of the Sons had all varied in reaction: Wayne and Beatrice had smiled at each other with relief and embraced one another, Meredith and Joseph had whooped and laughed in joy, much to the amusement of the others, and Rosalind and Glenn had shared a relieved look and a smile before erupting into tears of joy. It had taken all of them to convince Rosalind against storming into Tyler's classroom and dragging him out by his ears. She had agreed to wait until tonight.

The air around the families was warm and sweet-smelling from the surrounding jasmine trees. There was a soft breeze in the air that whispered through the trees and sprayed the parks' only inhabitants with cool water. The splash of water on water from the water fountain in the pond in front of them was peaceful. It was a shame that they couldn't fully appreciate the simple beauty of it in their tense and alert states.

Caleb, Pogue and Reid all stood shoulder to shoulder, faces pensive as they stared at the water. The stress and importance of the situation was heavy on their shoulders and was taking its toll. All three were exhausted and emotionally wound up. Tonight would be rough on everyone, especially on Rosalind and Glenn, who were about to be reunited with their son after fifteen long years. Everyone else was regaining their brother and son, but they were the worst off. The Sons knew it, too.

The crunch of leaves under shoes broke the quiet spell over the pond. Ten pairs of eyes, ranging from piercing blue to dark brown, turned towards the noise. The adults, minus Evelyn and Caleb, held their breath and the remaining two remained still. It was Tyler, complete with the look of utter guilt that had been there that afternoon.

If it were possible, the tension in the air could have suffocated them. Nobody moved as Tyler's eyes locked with each pair of his families'. Caleb could feel the anger radiating from Pogue and the relief from Reid. Every single person there was angry with Tyler, yes, but the relief that he was alive was almost too much to bear.

Rosalind was the one to break the stalemate. With tears streaming down her face, she shrugged off her husband's arm and rushed forward to embrace her son in her arms. She sobbed with relief as Tyler hugged her back tightly. They were whispering quietly to one another, still in each other's arms, when Glenn strode forward and embraced them both. The others stayed silent and still until the Simms family broke apart. Tyler's face was the only dry one as the three turned to face the others.

The next to welcome their youngest were Meredith and Joseph. Meredith, too, had tears of joys in her eyes as she slapped Tyler's arm before pulling him towards her. Joseph snickered and managed to shake Tyler's hand around his wife. Tyler grinned at the slap. Tyler had been the Garwins' self-proclaimed adopted son and it had hurt them almost as much as Rosalind and Glenn when he had disappeared. For the second time, Tyler was released, only to be enveloped one again, this time by Beatrice and Wayne.

Beatrice gave Tyler a brief hug and planted a kiss on his cheek, while Wayne shook his hand and clapped him on the shoulder. "Welcome back," he said gruffly. He was the first person to have said anything. Their youngest return the sentiment with a nod of his head before turning to Evelyn, Caleb, Pogue and Reid.

Evelyn nodded her head in greeting, walking forward to press a kiss to Tyler's cheek. They shared a smile and Evelyn moved to stand beside the other parents, consoling Rosalind who was having trouble halting her tears. With trepidation, Tyler turned to face his fellow brothers. Caleb folded his arms across his chest and nodded his greeting. "I honestly thought you wouldn't show," he admitted.

Tyler shrugged his shoulders and pushed his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "I was thinking about it, but I figured I'm dead either way, so…" He grinned slightly, which was returned by his oldest brother, before casting his eyes to Reid and Pogue, the amusement in his bright blue eyes fading.

Silence reigned. All the anger, frustration and sadness from the past fifteen years reached its breaking point and spilled over as Pogue lunged forward and socked Tyler in the jaw. The eyes of their oldest Covenant generation widened, but Caleb had expected nothing less. However, he had thought it would've been Reid to throw the punch, not Pogue.

Tyler righted himself without a word, rubbing his jaw. Anger flashed in his eyes but it disappeared as quickly as it had come. "I guess I should've expected that," he muttered.

Pogue's eyes flashed. "Damn fuckin' right, you did!" he growled. The blond ignored his mother's stern reprimand at his language. "At what point in time did you think it was honestly a good idea to fuckin' disappear into thin air? Do you have any idea how long we looked for you? What we had to do? Do you have any idea how much you hurt us? _Do you know what you did to us?"_

Tyler had kept silent throughout Pogue's rant, knowing from experience that it was easier to let him go than to try and stop him. Once he was sure it was over, he cleared his throat. It disconcerted him that Reid had stayed silent the whole time. "There's nothing I can say that will make what I did okay," he admitted. "But all can I say is that I did what was best for me. I left because I had to. It was my only choice."

"Bullshit!" This time, it was Reid who snapped. "Since when has running away been the only choice? You had all of us! If you needed help with the Power, all of us were here to help you!"

"What?" Tyler replied in disbelief, anger seeping into his tone. "You and Pogue were too enraptured in Using to give a flying fuck about my struggle with it! I couldn't handle my share around you because I would've caved to your influence! I wanted to live! Go to school, get married, have a family! I couldn't do that if I stayed. I had to get out!"

The yelling finally ceased, and Caleb stepped forward: this was as good a time as any to get to the whole point of their meeting, aside from ripping Tyler a new one. "I'm sorry you felt that way, Tyler," he apologised. "But you have to come back to Ipswich."

Tyler's eyes settled on his oldest brother. "Why? I'm happy here. I have a good job, a beautiful wife and three amazing kids. I refuse to uproot them because you say so."

Caleb raised an eyebrow. "If I could let you stay here, I would. We know where you are now: we could come and see you every weekend. But you're not safe here."

"And why is that?" Tyler wasn't being unreasonable; he just wanted to know what he was missing.

Caleb shared a hard glance with Reid and Pogue. After a moment of silent eye debating, Reid turned to his old best friend. "Because Chase is back, and he's after you."

* * *

Tyler still couldn't believe what he was hearing. Chase was back, after fifteen years? More than that, he was after him? It didn't make sense. "Why would he come after me? If you guys couldn't find me, how the hell did he?"

Reid shrugged. He had calmed down considerably and had been the one to explain the situation to Tyler. "No idea. That was kind of our line of thinking. You haven't felt anything recently? I mean, just because you haven't been Using doesn't mean you haven't felt anything."

Tyler began to shake his head when it hit him. "Late night, I was driving home from work and I felt this… I don't know, presence. It was thick, heavy. It was evil." Tyler frowned. "It was Chase?"

Reid exchanged a glance with Pogue and Caleb. "Sounds like it. Look, Ty… I know you don't want to move your family, but you're not safe here on your own. We can't protect you here when our families are back in Ipswich."

"I know," Tyler sighed. He didn't like it in the least but he knew they were right. He heaved another sigh: it looked like he was finally going to head back to Ipswich. "But my wife and kids won't like it at all."

"Do they even know about us?" asked Pogue bitterly.

Azure eyes looked down. "No, they don't," he admitted. "I couldn't talk about you to Julia, and especially not my boys."

"Wait, 'boys'?" inquired Caleb with a frown. "How'd you end up with more than one son?"

Tyler gave him a look. Then, recognising what he meant, he hastened to explain, "Oh, my wife was pregnant when we met. She never told me who the father was, so I adopted James when he was about ten weeks old. Julia and I only have one son together." Tyler smiled at the thought of his family. "And a daughter."

Caleb nodded, apparently satisfied. "Sarah and I have a son together, Nicholas," he smiled.

Tyler felt relieved that the ice was melting a little. "Any daughters?"

"No," Caleb shook his head. "Nick's birth went wrong and Sarah couldn't have any more. But he's more than enough." Caleb chuckled.

"What about you guys?" Tyler directed at Reid and Pogue. "Wives, bundles of joy…?"

"I'm married with a son," Reid replied. "Madison and Cooper saved my life after you left."

Tyler winced. "I guess no amount of 'I'm sorry's will make this better…" He smirked as Reid nodded in agreement. "And what 'bout you, Pogue?"

Pogue was quiet for a moment, still noticeably wound up. "I married Kate a few years after graduation. We have two children, Jackson and Roxanne. They'll be glad to finally meet Uncle Tyler." His voice was steady.

Tyler grinned. "Congrats, man. How old is Roxanne?"

"She's four," Pogue couldn't help but smile at the thought of his baby girl. As hard as the four men were, they all melted into puddles when it came to talking about their children. "How old are your terrors?"

The youngest chuckled. "That's not far from the truth. James is twelve, Aidan is eleven and my baby girl Evelina is six."

"They're cute ages," Reid admitted, completely stunning Tyler. "What?" he added defensively. "No matter how badass I am, I still love my family."

Tyler held up his hands in surrender. "I know, man. There ain't nothing wrong with it. I do the same thing."

"You wanna know what's even funnier?" baited the blond playfully, casting a grin in Pogue's direction. "Pogue here is a well-trained little house husband."

"Seriously?" Tyler couldn't suppress his snicker.

"Go jump off a cliff, Garwin," Pogue glared at the offending blond while Caleb and Tyler laughed outright.

Tyler didn't hear the blond's reply, his head swirling with happiness. The trepidation and fear that had taken up a permanent place in his gut had begun to fade and he felt truly happy for the first time in a long time. They still had far to go, and they would more than likely be working on their problems for the rest of their lives, but they were strong. They could handle anything as long as they worked together, including Chase.

_Yes, _Tyler reaffirmed to himself as the four began to tease and poke fun at one another, like they used to when they were teenagers, _it'll be okay. I'll move the family back to Ipswich until this blows over. Then we'll figure everything else out later._

* * *

**Author's note: **Let's start by saying I'm soooooooooo sorry for being away for so long! I started Year 11 this year, and my fellow Aussies will know how hard taking 5 TEE courses are… So, thank-you for sticking by me and waiting patiently!

Yes, another relatively short one. For that, I sort of apologise. I apologise for the length of this chapter, but I don't apologise because this was the right place to end it. Once again, I hope you're enjoying where this story is going! If you have any questions/comments/suggestions for me, please PM or leave a review! Thanks guys!


	9. VIII

**All That I'm Living For  
**by  
Jade Fervidus

* * *

**Rating:** M  
**Pairing/s: **Pogue/Kate, Caleb/Sarah, Reid/Madison and Tyler/Julia.**  
Genre:** Mystery/Friendship  
**Fandom:** The Covenant

**Warnings:** Language.

* * *

**Disclaimer: **I do not own The Covenant, its characters or settings: Renny Harlin and Screen Gems do. I just like using them for my own tales.

* * *

**VIII**

* * *

"Julia is going to flip," sighed Tyler as his eyes flicked to his watch. "It's almost two in the morning."

Reid snickered. "So what, dude? You're a grown man. And you've only been gone five hours."

"Yeah, true," conceded the brunette. "But you gotta remember that she doesn't know where I went, or who I was with. Hell, for all we know, she could be thinking that I'm with some hooker right now."

Caleb and Pogue snorted. "You're too vanilla to pay for sex, Baby Boy," teased Pogue.

Tyler flipped him off as he popped the locks on his car doors, earning more snickers from his brothers. "So, just to get this straight… You want me to grab Julia, Aidan, James and Evelina and meet you guys at the Garwin estate?"

Caleb nodded, sending his dark hair into his equally dark eyes. "Yeah. And be there by tomorrow afternoon, okay? It's imperative that you and your family is safe with us."

The youngest nodded. "We'll be there. Well, as soon as I figure out what to tell Julia."

* * *

Julia was fast asleep when Tyler tip-toed into their bedroom a half-hour later. Her pink lips were parted slightly and her curls were in her face. Tyler smiled to himself, still astounded by his love for her after their years together. He sunk onto the mattress beside her, pushing the curls out of her face gently. "Jools, baby?"

It was a moment before she woke, blinking sleepily and smiling when she noticed her husband. Her sleepy expression became alert after a minute and she sat bolt upright. "Is everything okay?" she asked worriedly. "Are you alright? Is it the kids? Is one of them hurt?"

Tyler shook his head furiously and calmed his wife with a kiss. "No, they're all fine. I'm fine," he insisted as they broke apart. He placed a hand on her cheek to comfort her distressed mind.

Julia smiled slightly as she calmed and pressed a small kiss to her husband's thumb. "Okay, I'm sorry. Maternal instincts, y'know," she added sheepishly.

"Don't ever apologise for being a good mother, love," Tyler whispered with a smile. "But we need to leave. Right now."

Confusion coloured Julia's face, ensuring she was now wide awake. "But, Ty, it's almost three in the morning. What could possibly be so bad that we have to leave right now?" Her eyes flashed with worry and resolve.

The man sighed, knowing that his wife would not leave their bed until she got the answers she was looking for. "I can't tell you. I'm sorry, but I can't," he added as an indignant look crossed his wife's face. "All I can tell you is that it's a matter of life and death."

"Tyler, no," argued Julia. "I'm not moving a muscle until you tell me what's going on."

The blue-eyed man pleaded with his wife through his eyes, begging her to just trust him. He could not afford to spend the time explaining the whole story to his wife at the moment. They needed to get out, and quickly, in case Chase could make a move.

Unfortunately, Julia didn't budge. "No, Tyler, okay? I like to think I'm a pretty understanding woman. I accepted you and loved you without really knowing who you were, but this is something even I can't bend to. Imagine; your husband wakes you up in the middle of the night, saying that you need to leave you home and your life, without telling you why? Isn't that a little insane?" she asked.

Anger welled in Tyler's mind, only to be covered by guilt. Julia's tone of voice has given it away: Julia was scared. Of what, he didn't know. "Jools, just trust me, please. I know you're scared, but we're in danger here. We need to get the kids and head to Ipswich."

"Why?" questioned Julia. "What's in Ipswich that's going to help us?"

It didn't escape Tyler's notice that Julia hadn't denied being scared. "Not 'what', _who_."

* * *

The tension in the SUV was so heavy that Tyler was surprised it hadn't woken his children. All five of the Simms were headed for Ipswich, the trunk packed with clothes and the essentials. Julia and Tyler's discussion had increased to a full blown argument before Julia caved and began to pack her suitcase. She hadn't said a word to her husband during the time she had packed for all her children and placed Evelina in her car seat.

Tyler sighed, struggling to keep his eyes on the road and his hands on the wheel. He could understand why his wife was apprehensive and suspicious, but why couldn't she trust him? They barely fought, ever. When they did, it was loud, cutting and usually lasted days. The brunette sincerely hoped that this was not one of those fights because he could not protect his wife and family if he wasn't focused.

"Mommy?" a small, sleepy voice asked from the backseat.

Tyler heard the rustle of clothing as Julia turned in her seat to face their daughter. "It's okay, baby," she cooed at the confused six-year-old. "We're going on a little trip. Go back to sleep - we'll be there when you wake up."

"I's afraid of the dark, Mommy," Evelina whispered, and Tyler could her following whimpers.

"Cuddle up to Aidan, baby girl," Julia suggested, and Tyler could practically hear her soft smile. Yes, she was beyond furious with her husband, but Evelina needed her. "He'll keep you safe."

Tyler heard a hitch of soft breathing and the rustle of fabric before the backseat fell silent. Julia righted her posture in the passenger seat and resumed staring out the window silently. The anger rolled off her rigid posture in waves, forcing Tyler to heave a sigh.

"Don't sigh, Tyler," Julia whispered harshly. "Because that would mean I've done something wrong."

The brunette bit back his reply, knowing that this was his wife's coping mechanism, When she got upset or angry, she lashed out. Tyler had learned to stay quiet around her when she was in these moods, or risk suffering the consequences.

A sniffle broke the silence that settled over the pair.

Tyler cast his eyes sideways in alarm, sadness settling over him as he realised his wife was crying. His own eyes burned slightly as he reached for her hand. He grasped it tightly, feeling the jewels of her wedding ring under his thumb. "Baby, talk to me," he pleaded.

Julia stayed quiet for a moment. "You realize how insane you sounded before, right? I was contemplating either running or slapping you." She chuckled bitterly. "I thought you were crazy. You telling me it was a matter of life and death did not help either. I love you, Tyler, but you scared the shit out of me."

Tyler frowned; his wife only swore when she was really upset. "Honey, I love you too, and I never meant to scare you. But I honestly couldn't think of any other way to get you to listen to me. I know you're understanding, and unbelievably patient, but I needed you to believe me and act quickly; you didn't. I'm sorry."

His wife cleared her throat. "Don't apologize," she murmured. "I'm the one who should be apologizing. I know that you would never lie to me and I do trust you, but I still don't like this situation at all. I mean, all you've said about what's in Ipswich is that's where your family is. Your family that you haven't seen since you were eighteen. Don't you understand why I'm wary?"

"Of course I understand why," Tyler admitted, "but I promise that I will tell you everything as soon as we get there, okay? It isn't something that I can explain by myself."

Julia nodded softly, squeezing her husband's hand. "All right, fine, but I am holding you to that promise, Tyler."

The brunette brought his wife's hand to his lips and pressed his lips to it. "I have no intention of breaking that promise, love."

* * *

It was still dark when Tyler pulled his SUV into the drive of a house he'd not seen in years. The Garwin manor was still the same. Flowers climbed and weaved through the elaborate stone walls and a fountain splashed quietly in the still night. The brunette reminded himself to bring Evelina out here one night; she would enjoy the colourful fish swimming in the pond. He smiled to himself.

The door of the manor opened and Tyler saw his brothers walk out. Julia had exited the car and joined Tyler's side, slipping her hand into his. He could feel his wife's apprehension and wrapped his arm around her waist: this wouldn't be an easy conversation but it had to happen.

Caleb, Reid and Pogue halted before the couple after a few seconds. Their smiles were as friendly as possibly under the circumstances, but their facial expressions were tense and calculating. Julia eyed the men up and down individually, her hand tightening around Tyler's. Sensing the tension, Caleb stepped forward and introduced himself. "Hey, I'm Caleb Danvers." He gave Julia a smile as they shook hands. "And this is Pogue Parry and Reid Garwin."

Pogue and Reid shook her hand as well, and Tyler almost snickered at the tentativeness. Julia elbowed him in the waist. He rubbed the abused flesh with a small pout, hoping to relieve the tension between him and his wife. It didn't work.

Reid cleared his throat to break the silence. He ran his hand through his messy hair. "Well, come on in. There's no point stayin' out here all night. Especially when we have… other matters… to attend to." His ice blue eyes settled on Tyler and Julia.

Julia saw the look that the two men shared, but chose to ignore it; she was sure she'd discover the warning behind it shortly. She followed the three men into the house as she observed them closely. They didn't seem to be causing any harm, apart from that to her mental health. The entourage headed up the rough stone path to the house and into the warmth of the mansion. Julia cast her green eyes back to the SUV in the drive; her children were all still sound asleep.

Tyler felt his wife turn in his arms, deducting that she was checking on their children. "They'll be fine for another few minutes," he reassured her quietly, pressing his lips to her temple. "I'll just introduce you to the families and we'll come back out and get 'em sorted, okay?"

Julia nodded in acquiescence, shrugging out of his embrace. He held in his sigh, following his brothers into the house which once served as his second home. The entrance hall was still floored in marble and decorated in cherry wood furniture, with portraits of previous Garwins extending across the stone walls. He cast his eyes to his wife, whose eyes were furrowed as they surveyed the new surroundings. Then her eyes settled on the large group a few metres away.

Tyler took her hand in his, gently pulling her towards his extended family. She hesitantly smiled at the group, clearly not expecting so many people at that time of morning. "Well, guys, this is my wife, Julia," Tyler began awkwardly; he really had no idea on how to diffuse the tension. "Jules, these are the families that raised me. Evelyn Danvers." He gestured towards the smiling older woman. "Meredith and Joseph Garwin, and Beatrice and Wayne Parry." They exchanged small smiles and pleasantries until Tyler turned to his own parents. "And these two are my parents; Rosalind and Glenn Simms."

Tyler felt her stiffen and winced; although he hadn't told her specifically, Julia believed that her husband's parents were dead. Then again, he hadn't dissuaded her when she had asked him if that was the case.

It was silent for another moment. "It's lovely to meet you, dear," Rosalind said quietly, stepping forward to embrace her daughter-in-law for the first time. "I'm sorry that we've never met. You certainly are a very beautiful young woman."

Julia felt a blush rise in her cheeks. "Thank-you, ma'am," she replied. "And, please don't apologize; it isn't your fault that we've never been acquainted."

Tyler ignored the venom in her voice, instead opting to address his father. "Do you approve?"

Glenn met his son's eyes for a moment before casting them over the woman in his arms. He guessed her to be a few years younger than his son, with dark floating curls and bright green eyes that were narrowed accusingly at Tyler. The oldest Simms chuckled to himself; she sure was a spitfire. He nodded. "Yes, m'boy. Treat her well, or else I daresay she'll hurt you."

Julia met his eyes and chuckled at the mischievous sparkle she caught in them. "Oh, you have no idea, sir," she said.

Silence settled over the group once again before Rosalind broke it. "I believe I have three beautiful grandchildren somewhere, correct?" Her question was directed at Julia, a tentative smile on her face.

Julia nodded. "Yes, ma'am. They're sleeping at the moment, though."

"As only appropriate for the current time," humoured the older woman, taking to her son's wife. "Let us get them out of the cold and into proper bedding."

The women of the group headed into the dark morning to bring the children into the house. Tyler, Caleb, Reid and Pogue watched them go, the fathers retiring to the study. Caleb cleared his throat, gaining the attention of his brothers. "How do you plan on telling her the truth, Tyler?

Tyler sighed, scrubbing a hand through his hair. "I have no bloody idea."

* * *

**Author's Note: **I know that no amount of apologies will make up for how long it's been since I updated. :( I can only hope that you guys are willing to forgive me, and continue to stick with me as I slowly push this baby out. :) Thanks!


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